Stephanie, Who?
by ColdWeatherChica
Summary: When Stephanie wakes in the hospital, she doesn't know who she is or how she got there. Will she be able to remember who hurt her before they try again? Will Ranger's struggle with protecting Stephanie lead him to pull away from her when she needs him the most? Rated M for later chapters. Babe story but no Cupcakes are hurt. *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them for entertainment purposes only.

When Stephanie wakes in the hospital, she doesn't know who she is or how she got there. Will she be able to remember who hurt her before they try again? Will Ranger's struggle with protecting Stephanie lead him to pull away from her when she needs him the most? Rated M for later chapters. Babe story but no Cupcakes are hurt.

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I opened my eyes and couldn't see anything but darkness. Perhaps a nightmare woke me and it was still the middle of the night. I tried to reach the nightstand and turn on the light, but my body wouldn't respond. A feeling of weightlessness enveloped me and I was no longer sure that I even lay in my bed. The room held no shape and I had the strangest feeling that I was floating in the darkness. I should have been afraid, terrified that I didn't know what was happening to me, but I felt only a calm curiosity.

I continued to float.

The room remained dark, but I began to hear faint noises. The random murmurings never amounted to much and soon stopped holding my interest. Where was the light? Surely, there is a lamp or light switch around here somewhere.

Time was a fuzzy notion, but soon I began to grow tired. I decided to rest my eyes for a little while. Perhaps things would make more sense when I woke.

When next I opened my eyes, the darkness didn't surprise me. I heard again the strange noises as before, but this time I noticed the repetition. Beep, beep, beep, whoosh. Beep, beep, beep, whoosh. It continued almost as background music and lulled me back to sleep.

The weightlessness in my body began to dissolve when I woke again, and soon I could tell that I was lying down and gravity had resumed. I looked around, but everything was still dark and my surroundings felt no more familiar than they had the last time I looked. Mixed in with the darkness, however, I began to see bursts of color and light. It started out faintly, but soon the red and orange explosions began to resemble a firework display. As the colors increased in size I began to feel a pain creeping into my body.

Almost as soon as I felt the pain I heard the noises again. It sounded different this time though. The beeping was irregular and faster than it had been. The lights had gotten so big that it was just one solid mass of red that surrounded me. I blinked and a hot-white light burned my eyes. I squinted and felt the pain in my head increase as I blinked a few more times. Soon the light dimmed and I found myself looking into a pair of warm brown eyes.

The muscular man sitting beside me wore black cargo pants, and a skin-tight black t-shirt. His brown hair was pulled into a messy pony tail at the nape of his neck, and his five o'clock shadow looked to be about a week old. Even beneath his unkempt appearance, I could see that he was an exceptionally attractive man. His eyes, however, looked both wary and haunted, as if the weight of the world lay on his shoulders.

I continued my silent appraisal and he continued to look at me as though he were waiting for me to say something. I had a nearly uncontrollable urge to touch his face, and soothe his sad eyes, but it seemed too intimate a gesture for someone I didn't know. Then again, he was holding my hand… As I contemplated how nice his hand felt in mine, he leaned towards me and used his other hand to tuck a curly strand of hair behind my ear.

"You scared me, Babe." He said.

I looked back at him in confusion; how did I scare him, and why did he call me Babe. Was that my name? Wait… my name… I didn't know my name. I tried hard to think of it, but there was nothing there to recall.

The beeping I heard earlier began to speed up and I realized that the heart monitor was advertising my fear. What happened? Why was I here? Who am I?!

The pounding in my head increased and I could no longer focus even as I heard more people enter the room. There were new voices speaking in urgent tones but in words I couldn't understand.

"Calm down, Babe, you're OK." I heard through the fog.

I brought my free hand to my head to try to alleviate the pain, but instead found myself drifting back into the darkness. My eyes closed and I let the weightlessness take over once again.

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A/N - This is my first ever fan fiction and I'm looking for some honest feedback. Is it worth continuing? Thanks, Chica.


	2. Chapter 2

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Thank you all for your very encouraging reviews! I am having a good time writing this story and plan to update it often. Your continued feedback is appreciated. Thanks, Chica.

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I was running down a quiet street and tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. Tumbling forward, I scraped the palms of my hands and my knees, but I got back up and kept running. I knew that I would be safe if I could just get to my car.

Rounding the corner, I saw my beat-up Nissan sedan and nearly cried with joy. I could hear the sound of his feet hitting the pavement behind me but I didn't dare turn around to see how close he was getting. When I heard the tell-tale sound of a bullet flying past my head, I cried out.

My eyes flew open and two tall men burst into the room with guns drawn. To say that I was terrified would be putting it mildly. My heart was racing so fast that I could feel it beating in my ears.

"Babe, you're OK, it was just a dream. You're safe here." said the brown-eyed man who still occupied the chair by my bed.

He looked to the armed men and nodded his head almost imperceptibly. They lowered their guns and put them back into the holsters on their hips. Once I was fairly confident that the men were not here to shoot me, I looked them over more carefully.

The first of the gunmen stood to the left of the door and was easily 6'4" with more muscles than should be legal. He was built like a football star, but had a much more frightening countenance. His light brown hair was sporting a buzz cut and he had a light dusting of freckles on his nose and cheeks. His eyes were light grey and appeared to indicate embarrassment or bashfulness.

The second of the gunmen was a few inches shorter than the first, but was easily his equal in muscle mass. His naturally tan skin was set off perfectly against his black clothes. His dark hair appeared to be highlighted and styled as though he were a fashion model. He saw me staring at him and gave me a lopsided grin.

"Glad to see those baby blues, Beautiful." He said. "You had us worried."

"Sorry." I said. I didn't know who these men were, but it was clear by their actions that they knew me, and I didn't like the idea of worrying anyone.

"That's OK, Beautiful." He replied as he sat down on the end of my bed and put his hand on my sheet-covered foot.

I flinched back at the unexpected contact and heard the man next to me growl before he barked out, "Santos! Out!"

That seemed to have an immediate response as the man, Santos, jumped up and quickly exited the room, his counterpart leading the way. Santos winked at me as he closed the door behind him. When the door shut I looked at my brown-eyed friend again. He picked up my hand and kissed my knuckles. My heart began to race again, but this time it wasn't in fear.

Apparently I'm still hooked up to the heart monitor because it once again advertised my erratic rhythm and I lowered my eyes in embarrassment.

"Babe," He said. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused, mostly." I replied. "My head hurts and my whole body aches, but it's not so bad." I had a lot of questions, and I wanted a chance to get some of them answered before he left or we were interrupted by someone else. "What's your name?"

For a moment, a look of sadness crossed his face, but just as quickly it was replaced with an expression devoid of all emotion.

"My name is Ricardo Carlos Mañoso." He said. "Most people call me Ranger."

"Ranger…" I repeated. "Are we friends, Ranger?" I asked.

"Yeah, Babe. We are." The sad look passed across his face again, just for a moment.

I repeated his name over and over in my head, hoping that something would sound familiar. I didn't recognize his name any more than I recognized his face, but I really wanted to… if for no other reason than to try to remove that sad look from his eyes.

"Ranger," I asked. "What's my name?"

"Oh, Babe," He began. His face was no longer devoid of any emotion as I read the sorrow clearly in his expression. "Your name is Stephanie Michelle Plum." He told me. "You and I met a little over three years ago when I began showing you the ropes as a bond enforcement agent.

"A what?" I asked.

"You're a bounty hunter, Babe." He replied. "You've got the best natural instincts I've ever seen, which has helped you to maintain a nearly perfect capture rate."

"Wow!" I said. I couldn't wrap my head around what he'd just told me. A bounty hunter! "That must be exciting!"

"It certainly can be." Ranger said with a small smile.

We were interrupted from further conversation by the opening of the door to my room. A short, grey-haired man walked in. His white coat looked comically long on him and appeared to be a little snug around the middle where he had the beginnings of a belly growing. He looked at me and smiled and I could see the crow's feet in the corner of his eyes, indicating that he smiled a lot. He had kind eyes.

"Good afternoon, Stephanie." He said. "I'm glad to see you awake. I'm Doctor Wesen and I've been taking care of you here at St. Francis."

"Hi." I replied. "Why am I here? What happened? How long have I been here? Why don't I remember anything?" My mouth began to resemble that of a runaway train. The more questions I asked, the more I thought of. I was afraid that I would forget to ask something if I didn't ask it as soon as it crossed my mind.

Dr. Wesen smiled a patient smile and waited until I took a breath before responding. "Stephanie, you were in an accident and due to significant brain trauma, you have been in a medically induced coma for the past eight days. We began weaning you from that medication yesterday when it appeared that the swelling in your brain had reduced sufficiently. You had been intubated, but we removed the tube from your throat when it was clear you were able to breathe on your own." He paused and looked at Ranger and then back to me. "With an injury like yours, memory loss is very common."

I sat there in silence, contemplating everything he said. When I began to truly feel the weight of my situation, I was sad and a little frightened. "Will I get my memory back?" I whispered.

Dr. Wesen smiled at me sweetly and patted my hand. "Let's not worry about that just yet. There is every reason to believe you will get your memories back. They may begin to trickle in little by little, or you might wake up and remember everything all at once. The point is, we won't really know until it happens." Here he looked at Ranger again. "It won't help to stress about it or try to force your mind to remember."

"Now, before I let you get some rest," Dr. Wesen said. "I'd like to give you an exam. Would you like Mr. Mañoso to step outside?"

I wasn't sure how thorough this exam was going to be, and I was a little nervous for this beautiful man to see me in any state of undress. Ranger was, however, the only person I knew at this point, and I wanted a friend to stay with me.

"He can stay if he wants." I said shyly. I looked him in the eyes and he seemed to read the question there.

"I'm not going anywhere, Babe." He said.


	3. Chapter 3

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Yes, this is my first fan fiction story, but I have been an avid reader of them for a few months now. Writing is proving to be almost as much fun as reading all the other great stories! And, yes, this is definitely a Babe HEA.

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Dr. Wesen began to elevate the head of my bed so that I was in a seated position for the exam. Ranger held my hand and I squeezed his tightly at the first sign of pain as my body began to move into a new position. After a little wincing and deep breathing, the pain in my body began to lessen and I was able to settle into a more comfortable position. I looked at Ranger and was startled to see a look of focused determination in his face. "Ranger?" I asked. "Are you OK?"

"You've got quite a grip there." He said.

I looked down at our hands and realized that I was still squeezing his and that his fingers were no longer the same color as the rest of him. I immediately released my grip and pulled my hand back into my own lap while I apologized. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Ranger gave me a small smile while he subtly flexed his fingers, trying to get the blood flowing again. "It's fine." He said.

Dr. Wesen chuckled from the other side of the bed. "I think we can safely check 'grip strength' off our list." He responded. I gave a sheepish smile in return.

As Dr. Wesen began testing my reflexes and overall neurological condition, Ranger excused himself to stand by the window. I couldn't really blame him for keeping his distance; after all, I did crush his hand. I was relieved, though, that he didn't go far and that he was looking at me. I responded to the instructions given to me by Dr. Wesen while maintaining eye contact with Ranger the whole time. At least, I did until a pen light was shined into my eyes. That hurt!

Noticing my wince, Dr. Wesen asked, "Is your head still hurting?"

I nodded with my eyes closed and tried to get the pain back under control. I hated the helpless feeling that came over me and despite the fact that the pain was already subsiding, I felt a couple tears slide down my cheeks.

Instantly Ranger was back by my side. "Babe?" He asked, concern lacing his voice. He reached over to tuck a stray curl behind my ear again and paused to palm my cheek. His thumb began to wipe away the tears as his other hand moved up to perform the same task on my other cheek. I leaned into the contact and smiled.

"I'm OK." I said. "The pain is already going away." I opened my eyes to see a very anxious Ranger shooting dirty looks at Dr. Wesen. It was clear that Ranger was holding him responsible for causing my pain. Instinctively, I knew that making Ranger angry would be detrimental to one's health, so I attempted to distract him by reaching up to my face and pulling his hands back into my lap. I covered his hands with my own and looked him in the eyes. "Really, I'm OK." I said.

The rest of the exam went quickly. Dr. Wesen explained that although I had no broken bones, I did have some significant bruising to my body, in particular around my ribs, which is why they hurt so much when I sat up. He said he was pleased with how I was recovering, and that I would continue to recover more quickly if I didn't overtax myself. He ordered a pain reliever and a mild sedative so that I would relax and let my body recouperate. Dr. Wesen gave me an encouraging smile and said that he'd check in on me again later in the day.

I was relieved that I was alone again with Ranger so that I could continue to ask him my questions. Before I asked the first one, though, I noticed that he was looking pretty disheveled and had likely been sitting in that chair for far longer than was comfortable. "Ranger? When was the last time you slept or got something to eat?" I asked. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you look a little worn out."

"I didn't want to leave until I knew you were going to be OK." He said.

I was flabbergasted. "Do you mean to tell me that you've been in here for 8 days?" I asked. "Aren't there visiting hours or something?"

Ranger smiled at me and said, "The hospital has been very accommodating."

"But why?" I asked. "Why would you want to stay with me?" Rather than waiting for him to answer, I asked him a question I had been thinking of since I first woke up. "Who am I to you?" He looked uncertain and I wondered if I hadn't been clear in my question. "I mean, are we _just_ friends, or are we a couple?"

Before he had the opportunity to answer, the door opened again and a perky, twenty-something, blond nurse came into the room. "I've got something for your pain and to help you rest here." She said, tapping a syringe in her hand. She approached the IV beside my bed when she caught a glimpse of Ranger. Her mouth fell open slightly and she stopped dead in her tracks. I could understand her reaction, he was an absolutely beautiful specimen of a man, even if he was looking a little unkempt. After an uncomfortable moment where nobody moved or said anything, I cleared my throat and looked at the nurse. I tried to glare at her and hoped she got the hint. I recognized the possessiveness in my actions but wasn't going to feel bad about that until I got my answer from Ranger.

The nurse snapped out of her trance, blushed and lowered her head, breaking eye contact with Ranger. She injected my IV with the medication and quickly turned and left the room. I was expecting to pick up the conversation where we left off, but when I looked again at Ranger he was pulling himself out of the chair and running his hand down his face. My eyelids began to feel heavy but I wasn't ready to sleep yet, I had a question I needed answered.

Ranger leaned over the bed and kissed me on my forehead. "Get some rest, Babe." He said. He then stood up and walked out the door without a backwards glance. I wanted to protest and insist that he stay put and answer my questions, but at the same time, I was glad he felt that he could once again leave my room. He obviously needed sleep and clearly I was improving, so there was no reason for him to stay anymore. And even though I know it was completely irrational, I couldn't help feeling like he was abandoning me. Didn't he want to keep me company anymore?

My mind struggled with trying to answer the question I posed to Ranger. Were we more than friends? Neither of us wore rings, and we have different last names, so it is unlikely that we were married, but we could be dating… The way he looked at me, how he constantly held my hands, how he caressed my face and comforted me, it was almost intimate. Surely, we were more than friends.

It became more and more difficult to fight off the sleep, but I couldn't help but think that perhaps there was a reason that Ranger wouldn't just say that we were an item. What if we had broken up? Or maybe he had a girlfriend, but it wasn't me. Then again, what kind of woman would let her boyfriend sit vigil next to the hospital bed of another woman for more than a week? No, he couldn't be in a relationship unless it was with me. But why didn't he just tell me? I'm so confused! I couldn't hold back the darkness that was threatening to take me away any longer, so I allowed my eyes to close as I drifted off to sleep thinking about Ranger.


	4. Chapter 4

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Thank you all for the great reviews thus far. I love reading everyone's take on things. Melyons, your comment had me laughing… Yes, memory deprived Steph is as confused as regular Steph. Unfortunately for her, things are going to be more confusing before they start to make sense. I have been able to post a new chapter each day, and I plan to continue with that schedule, but just in case I get side-tracked this weekend, I made this chapter extra long. With that said, I hope you enjoy. Thanks again!

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I woke up feeling as though I was being watched. I didn't have any idea how long I had been sleeping, but I felt groggy and stiff as though I hadn't moved in a while, so I figured I'd been out for several hours. When I opened my eyes I was surprised to see another doctor approaching from the foot of the bed. He was young, maybe thirty, and clean cut with dark brown hair. Though he smiled at me, something about it seemed forced. I wasn't sure why, but I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach and my heart began to beat a bit faster as I looked at him.

The heart monitor once again sounded my distress (I was really beginning to hate that thing). When he heard the increased pace of my heart, the young doctor's smile began to grow more sinister as though he was taking pleasure in my fear.

I wasn't sure what he wanted, but he was obviously not concerned for my well-being. He had yet to say anything, which was odd in and of itself, but when compared to the evil glint in his eye, I truly began to fear for my safety.

"Who are you?" I squeaked.

"I'm your doctor," he said. "And it's time for your medication."

He approached the bed and I could now see a syringe in his right hand. That certainly didn't seem out of the normal, as the nurse had given me an injection before I went to sleep. The part that stuck out as strange, however, was that the cap on his syringe was clear. The needle the nurse had used earlier had a bright orange cap on it. Everything about this situation was screaming 'Wrong!', but I didn't know what to do… I was on my own.

I began shaking my head back and forth. "No," I said. "I don't want that!"

He continued his slow walk towards me and pulled off the cap to the syringe. I started to panic. This was wrong! He's trying to hurt me! I tried to shift to the far side of the bed so that I could get up and away from him, but he pounced before I was able. He grabbed my arm and tried to stab me with the needle, but I used my free hand to block him. Our struggle wasn't going to last long… he was so much stronger than I was, but I had adrenaline pumping through my blood at the moment and it was giving me precious seconds to think my way out of the situation.

I was losing the battle and realized it just as I felt the puncture of the needle in my arm. I let out a blood-curdling scream which distracted him enough for me to be able to push him away. The door to my room burst open just then. My attacker climbed over me, ran to the window and jumped out before I could even register what had happened. There was glass everywhere and it crunched under the feet of the two men who had just rushed into the room, and peered out the window.

Black dots were forming in my vision and I felt as though I was going to faint. I tried to take a deep breath but felt as though I wasn't getting any air. One of the men approached me quickly and pulled the syringe from my arm. He was probably only 5'9" and had two teardrop tattoos by his eye. Most people would be frightened, but when I looked into his brown eyes, all I saw was concern for me.

"Please help me." I whispered.

He turned and to address his partner and began to speak rapidly in Spanish. I didn't understand what was being said, but he turned back to me and said, "Angelita, you OK." I didn't know if he was speaking the truth, or just trying to soothe me. At the moment, it didn't matter; I chose to believe him. I started to calm down and was able to catch my breath as the man in front of me continued to soothe me with quiet Spanish. The black dots were going away and I was now able to take in the chaos of my room.

The second of the men who had come to my rescue was still standing by the window, but was now talking into the phone. I didn't hear everything he said, but it sounded like he was recapping what happened. I heard him say "Bomber" as he looked at me with a worried expression. Had the doctor had a bomb, too? What was going on? Why would he attack me in the first place?

In addition to my two heroes, now in the room were Dr. Wesen, a red headed nurse I hadn't seen before, and 6' tall Caucasian who looked like a movie star. He was muscular, but not bulky like the taller of my two heroes. He wore blue jeans and a blue cotton shirt that perfectly matched his eyes. His tousled brown hair looked like it was past due for a trim and he could definitely use a shave. He tried to approach me but was stopped by the man on the phone. They began to argue, but my focus shifted to Dr. Wesen as he retrieved the needle from the man beside me.

"Ram!" called the man beside me, effectively silencing the others in the room. The man beside me continued to speak to 'Ram' in Spanish; it appeared that he was called over to act as a translator. Dr. Wesen was informed that the plunger on the syringe didn't seem to have been depressed. He called for bloodwork to be done on me, just in case, and had the still full syringe taken to the lab for processing. Hopefully they would soon find out what was in the needle.

The tension in the room had lifted as soon as everyone realized that I hadn't been injected with any unknown substances. I was worried that my attacker had managed to escape and wanted to know if anyone had tried to catch him, so I tentatively asked, "Did he get away?"

"No, Cupcake," said the movie star. "He's dead."

I was speechless. The man who attacked me was dead. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. A small part of me was sad that someone had died, but the bigger part of me was relieved that he wasn't around to try to hurt me again.

The movie star continued to talk as he made his way over to me and sat down in the seat beside my bed. "He probably would have managed to get away with only a twisted ankle or something since we're only on the second floor, but he managed to land head first onto a cement bench from the garden below the window." I winced at the image in my head. No way did I need to see that!

"Who was he?" I asked. "Why did he want to hurt me?"

His eyes got darker and he appeared angry when he mumbled something about "Mañoso." My head tilted to the side as I tried to understand what he was talking about.

"Do you mean Ranger?" I asked.

He appeared hurt for a moment before he quietly asked if I remembered Ranger. I told him, "Of course I do. He was here both times I woke up before… though anything before that is a blank, I'm afraid." He nodded his head as though he were expecting that answer. He ran his hand through his hair, which seemed to calm him or maybe give him courage to ask his next question.

"Do you remember me, Cupcake?" He asked, as Ram and my other hero glared at him from across the room.

Wow, another hot man who seems to know me well enough to give me a strange nickname… and don't get me started on the eye candy across the room. I was a lucky girl! I looked more closely at the man in the chair beside me and noticed that he too had a gun on his hip.

"Are you a bounty hunter, too?" I asked him.

He looked at me and gave me a lopsided grin. "No," he said. "I'm a detective with the Trenton Police Department."

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked. "Am I in trouble for something?"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong." The detective said. "I was actually coming up to see you when all the excitement began."

I started shaking my head and gave him a dirty look at the use of the word 'excitement'. He seemed to pick up my meaning and looked contrite. "Sorry, Cupcake." He said. "I guess 'excitement' was the wrong word."

"Why do you call me Cupcake, detective?"

"I'm sorry Cu…Stephanie." He began. "My name is Joe Morelli. We've known each other since we were kids." He smiled at that and I got the distinct impression that he was remembering the two of us in an intimate setting. Maybe Ranger and I weren't a couple because I was with Joe. I ducked my head to hide the blush I felt at the idea of being intimate with this hot man beside me.

I looked at him from underneath my lashes and asked shyly, "Are you my boyfriend, Joe?"

My question seemed to give him pause and he appeared to be thinking really hard about his reply. I didn't think it was that difficult a question, you either are or aren't, right? Why the long pause?

Joe sighed. "No, Stephanie, I'm not your boyfriend." He said. "We broke up about three months ago. But you'll always be important to me, and I'm still your friend."

I was disappointed to hear that we were not a couple, and even more disappointed that I couldn't remember being with him when we were. "Oh, OK." I said, blushing again. It suddenly felt awkward between us. I wasn't sure what to say to him and he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

"Your parents are going to be excited to hear that you're awake." He said.

"My parents?" I can't believe I hadn't thought about my family. I wondered if I had any brothers or sisters.

"Yeah, they've been here every day to see you." He said.

"Will you tell me about them?" I asked. He nodded and began to tell me about my mother who irons when she's stressed and my father who fights every morning with my grandmother over who gets the bathroom first. He told me about my sister Valerie and her attorney husband who acts like the clown that his last name of Kloughn suggests. Apparently they have three girls, one who thinks she's a horse.

I was so happy to be hearing about myself and having some of my questions answered. After what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes, Joe excused himself and said that he needed to put his cop hat on and see to the matter of the man below my window. I didn't want him to leave. I was enjoying my talk with him and found his company very pleasing. I pouted a little and Joe smiled before promising he'd be back to visit me again. He kissed me on the forehead and left me to think about everything that had happened since I last woke up.

I looked around the room again and saw Ram sweeping up the broken glass on the floor. It seemed so surreal. Why had that man attacked me? Who were these men that were obviously guarding my door?

Ram and the shorter man both looked at me at the same time. I guess I asked that last question out loud. They looked at each other and must have had some sort of non-verbal conversation because they both approached me then. Ram sat down in the recently vacated chair beside my bed, and the other man sat down on the side of the mattress near my knees.

"Steph," Ram said. "My name is Ram and this is Hector. We both work for Rangeman, which is a security company Ranger owns." He paused here to make sure I understood what he had said. I nodded and he continued. "We are your friends, and when there is a threat against you, we will do anything we can to make sure you are safe." Here he looked down at his chest and started shaking his head before looking at me again. "I'm so sorry, Steph. I didn't know he wasn't your doctor, he had the proper identification and everything seemed legit." He looked down again. "If anything had happened to you, I never would have forgiven myself."

He looked so miserable that I couldn't help but try to make it better. I reached out and took his hand and said, "But you got here in time and I'm OK." I then looked at Hector and smiled, "I'm OK." I knew he would understand. Hector nodded and smiled back at me. What I still didn't understand is why someone would be out to hurt me in the first place. "Why did Ranger think I needed security on my hospital room in the first place? How did he know someone was going to try something?"

If possible, they both looked even more uncomfortable than they did a moment ago. "Uh, Steph," Ram started. "I think you should probably talk with Ranger about that." I looked around, wondering if I had just overlooked him somehow, but he wasn't here.

"OK, where is he?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." He replied. They both looked a bit ill at ease and finally Hector said something in Spanish. Ram nodded in reply and said, "We should head back out to the hall to keep an eye out. Just holler if you need anything, OK?"

I just nodded in reply as both men got up and headed out of the room to guard my door. I was tired and the pain medication was wearing off. I decided that I deserved to rest for a while. Just as I was nodding off, I heard the most wonderful sound.

"I'm here, Babe."


	5. Chapter 5

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Thanks all for your continued interest in this story. I hope this chapter satisfies a little of what you've been itching for. More to follow, Chica.

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I dreamt that I was sitting at a large table in a small room eating pineapple upside down cake. I was happy and smiling around my fork. As I finished my dessert, I heard a voice loudly vocalizing disapproval coming from behind me. My happy mood vanished.

When I woke up I could hear people talking, so I kept my eyes closed to assess the situation. I certainly didn't want to wake up again only to have some psycho coming at me, but realistically, I thought I might find out more by eavesdropping than by asking questions.

"She deserves a family and a stable home." I heard a woman say. The voice sounded familiar to me and I quickly realized that it was the same voice from my dream. I still had no idea who the voice belonged to, or what she looked like, but listening to it quickly incited feelings of inadequacy within me.

I recognized the smooth voice that responded as belonging to Ranger. "She deserves that and more, but only if that's what she wants." He said. "Trying to mold her into the image you have of her in your head is only going to continue to frustrate you both. I won't stand in the way of her happiness, but I hope it's her happiness that you're worried about, because she deserves that more than anyone I know.

That was the most I've heard Ranger speak before, and it was in my defense! I don't know who he was talking with, but I'm glad he's looking out for me… especially when I'm not even sure of who I am at the moment. It was hard to pretend to be sleeping when I wanted to smile.

An impatient sigh escaped from the woman before she continued. "She doesn't know what she wants. She'd be happy with Joe if you would stop encouraging her to continue her ridiculous job. It's not safe for her and every time you come to her rescue, she gets to live in denial that much longer."

"If she wanted Joe," Ranger said. "They'd be together now. She's the one who knows what she wants, and a life with Joe wasn't it. It doesn't seem like Joe's having much trouble auditioning for her replacement either, so I'd say they're both happier with that decision." He paused to let that sink in before he continued. "As for her job, I agree with you that she could learn to do it more safely, but she's determined and has luck firmly on her side. Regardless of her less than traditional methods, she's successful and you should be proud of her."

"Proud of her!" The woman snorted. "How can I be proud of her when everyone in town is constantly telling me about her latest exploits… how she's constantly rolling in garbage and blowing things up? She's an embarrassment to my family, and the sooner she accepts that her place is in the home and settles down, the better off we'll all be."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could someone be so heartless? Was I really that bad that my own family was embarrassed of me? It seemed to me that I had some really amazing friends, so how could I be saddled with a family that was so unsupportive? The worst part was not even knowing anything about the life that this woman so disapproves of.

I didn't realize that I had been crying until I felt someone wiping away my tears. I opened my eyes to see Ranger leaning over me with such a look of love in his eyes that my breath caught in my throat.

"I'm proud of you, Babe." He said.

I heard a small gasp and looked beyond Ranger's shoulder to see a woman in her late fifties or early sixties sitting in a folded chair near the door. She had short, light brown hair, grey eyes, and was probably carrying an extra twenty pounds. Her rigid back and stiff shoulders suggested both pride and discomfort, but her eyes looked almost ashamed.

"Stephanie," She said. "How are you feeling, dear?" She plastered on a big smile and moved closer to my bedside.

I wasn't sure how to answer that. At the moment I was feeling hurt, angry, embarrassed and extremely unsure of myself. I decided that I was less likely to continue crying if I focused on my anger. "I'm not sure who you are," I said to her. "But I'll save you the embarrassment of being seen with me and ask you to leave this room."

From the corner of my eye I could see Ranger's mouth twitch as though he wanted to smile, but my focus was on the woman and the look of shock that crossed her face. Her shock quickly faded into indignation as her face turned more and more red.

"Stephanie, I'm your mother. Of course I'm not going anywhere." She looked at me as though I had lost my mind. Well, I guess I did, technically, so I couldn't really blame her for that one…

"Mrs. Plum," I began. "I appreciate you fulfilling your obligation to visit, but I heard what you said. You clearly don't respect me or the choices I make, so why don't you leave me to the people that support me unconditionally?" I looked to Ranger, beseeching him with me eyes that I hadn't assumed too much.

Ranger grinned and squeezed my hand in support. The coloring of my mother's face, however, had gone beyond red and was dangerously close to purple. She sputtered and looked completely confused. "Stephanie, you don't know what you're talking about." She said. "Once we get you home, things will make more sense and soon you'll have your memories back and this will all be just a bad dream."

I looked at this woman. My mother. It was obvious to me that she just didn't get it. I don't know what kind of girl I was before, but regardless of the way things used to be, the last thing I was going to do now was have someone walk all over me and talk to me as though I was an idiot.

"The hospital hasn't kicked me out yet," I said. "But I'm sure that when they do I won't be staying with you. I'm guessing I have my own place, or at least some other options available to me. You should feel free to go home now and get caught up on your ironing."

She stood there stunned for another moment before she went back to her chair, picked up her purse, and walked out the door.

Ranger looked at me and asked, "How did you know about the ironing, Babe?"

"Joe told me." I replied.

A flash of jealousy crossed his face for just a moment before his blank expression took over. I was afraid of talking with Ranger about Joe, so I opted to divert his attention.

"Was I wrong to say that to her?" I asked. "I mean, she is my mother, but I just couldn't believe the way she was talking about me. Oh, and thank you for the nice things you said." I smiled genuinely but then a nagging doubt crawled into my head. "I'm sorry if you said something you didn't mean to since you thought I was sleeping."

Ranger's blank face disappeared at the same time his little grin reappeared. I noticed for the first time that he was clean shaven, no longer rumpled, and looked hot!

He started to chuckle, "Thanks, Babe." He said.

"Oops, did I say that out loud?" I asked.

"Yeah, Babe," He said. "You do that from time to time." He smiled again. Good grief, that smile could be labeled as a lethal weapon! He looked at me as though he wanted to convey something of supreme importance. "I didn't say anything I didn't mean, and you're not so good an actress for me to believe you were sleeping, anyway." I was stunned. Did that mean he said those things because he knew I was listening, or would he have said the same thing if I really had been sleeping?

"To answer your questions," He continued. "No, I don't think you were wrong to have it out with your mother, in fact, I think that conversation was long overdue. And you do have your own apartment to go to once you are discharged, but I hope you'll stay with me for a while."

Now we're getting somewhere! My cheeks heated up and I squeaked, "You do?"

"Yes, I do." He said. "Your apartment is a security nightmare and there may still be a threat against you. My building is secure and I'll feel better if there were people around you to help you recover and to keep you safe."

Disappointment flooded through me. Here was my security expert friend, looking after my security needs when I desperately wanted him to be looking after me for more personal reasons. "So you're worried about me as a friend, nothing more?" I asked him.

"Stephanie," He started. I realized this was the first time he hadn't called me 'Babe' and I didn't like it. "I love you… in my own way… but we can't be more than friends. My lifestyle is dangerous and it wouldn't be fair to either of us to get emotionally involved when there's a chance I wouldn't make it home. And I couldn't live with myself if you were targeted because of your association with me."

My eyes welled up, but I didn't want him to think that we couldn't talk without me crying, so I forced myself to blink away my tears before they could fall. "I understand." I said quietly. I leaned back against the mattress and turned my head away from him. "I'm really tired, Ranger. I think I'll just sleep for a little bit." I closed my eyes and tried to mask my disappointment.

Well, if Ranger doesn't want anything beyond friendship with me, at least I figured it out before I let the lustful fantasies get too carried away. I certainly have enough things to try to figure out without adding men to the list anyway. A great example is to figure out who tried to hurt me and why. Is there still a threat against me like Ranger suggested, or was the man who attacked me acting alone?


	6. Chapter 6

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Hello all! Thanks again for the wonderful feedback! I wasn't sure how well received Steph's response to her mother would be, so I was glad to read the reviews supporting a stronger Stephanie. Don't worry, this is still a Babe HEA, but Ranger isn't going to change personalities overnight… some things take time :)

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After I finished a breakfast of plain oatmeal and juice (successfully demonstrating that I no longer needed intravenous nutrition), my IV had been removed. From now on, my antibiotics and pain medications would be taken in pill form.

After a fair amount of begging, Dr. Wesen also agreed that there wasn't a need for me to be hooked up to the heart monitor any longer. I was super excited that the beeping wouldn't advertise my level of excitement or anxiety anymore. After all, a girl should be able to keep some things secret.

Dr. Wesen said that I could take a shower this afternoon if I was able to get up and walk around my room and still avoid getting dizzy. Without my catheter in, I was going to have to manage walking to the bathroom anyway, so I'm sure I'd get enough practice. I couldn't wait for that shower so I could wash my hair! Once I was clean, I'd be able to get out of this drafty gown and into a pair of pajamas that Joe had dropped off for me this morning. Unfortunately, I was having scans done in the imaging center when he stopped by, so we weren't able to visit. I'm not sure how he knew to bring me the PJ's, but I was looking forward to wearing them regardless.

The redheaded nurse had returned to my room to help me with my shower. Her name was Jenny and we had hit it off immediately. She said that she and the other nurses were having a hard time not stopping by to check on me more often than necessary, just so they could get a closer look at the eye candy guarding my door. I wished the guys would guard me from inside my room so I'd have someone to talk with. It was amazing how bored I got sitting in this room all day. Though I still needed to rest often, I found that even a couple of hours staring at hospital walls was enough to make me second guess sending my mother away… at least listening to her would have helped to pass the time.

Jenny helped me sit up on the bed and I struggled not to wince at the pain the small movement caused. I was determined to have this shower, and I didn't want her thinking that I couldn't handle it. Once my legs were hanging beside the bed and the brief dizziness passed, Jenny helped me to my feet. While I started out a little unsteady, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I quickly gained my balance and felt pretty solid.

We walked slowly to the bathroom and once I had a good grip on the counter by the sink, Jenny turned to put a chair in the shower, just in case I needed it. I looked into the mirror for the first time and stared at my reflection. I thought I would recognize the person looking back at me, but the only thing I recognized was the curly brown hair matted against my head, and that was only because of the times people tucked an errant curl behind my ear.

Above my blue eyes was a line of stitches that spanned from my left eyebrow to my hairline. I hadn't noticed them before but it certainly helped to explain the headaches. My self-inspection continued and I could see a greenish yellow bruise across my left cheekbone and the corresponding shadow below my eye.

Jenny stepped up behind me and pulled a towel from the shelf and set it on the bar beside the shower. She reached in and got the water going for me before untying the back of my gown. "There is shampoo and soap already in the shower," She began. "And I'll be right outside if you need me, so just holler." I gave her my thanks as she closed the door behind her and I continued to stare at my reflection, hoping that it would somehow begin to look familiar.

I removed my gown and was instantly shocked by the number of bruises that covered my body. If I didn't know I had been in an accident, I would have thought I'd been a practice dummy at a boxing ring. My torso, shoulders, and hips were covered in varying shades of black, blue, green and yellow. I stood for a moment taking in my thin form. I was relatively tall, probably around 5'7" or 5'8", had a flat stomach and long legs. Without all the bruises, I suppose I would be quite attractive. I stopped myself before I let my mind to get too carried away and turned to enter the shower.

The water felt nice on my skin so I closed my eyes for a moment to allow the water to pour down my face, reveling in the warmth and relaxation it provided before I located the soap and wash cloth Jenny had left for me. I lathered up the cloth and very carefully washed my body, utilizing the chair to reach my legs. Once I had rinsed completely, I grabbed the bottle of shampoo and began to work it into my hair. I leaned back into the spray and began to rinse the shampoo out of my hair. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, loving how good it felt to be clean. As I pulled my head back a feeling of dizziness came over me and I stumbled back into the wall. I grabbed one of the handles behind me and was instantly sprayed with shockingly cold water. I pulled away and landed in the chair before a memory took over and I lost track of where I was.

* * *

My fingers fumbled with the key in the ignition, but I finally managed to turn the engine over. I put the car in gear as fast as I could and took off down the street. The ache in my hands intensified when I gripped the steering wheel tighter. No doubt I had some decent cuts and abrasions from when I tripped in the alley, but with my luck I probably had gravel imbedded into my palms and knees, too.

Putting the pain out of my mind, I rounded the corner onto Lincoln and my back window shattered. I couldn't believe he'd caught up to me so quickly! I needed to put some serious space between us, but the traffic was too heavy here. There was now only one car between the tan Bronco and my ancient Nissan.

Pounding on the gas pedal, I grabbed my purse and started digging for my cell phone, while trying to avoid hitting the cars around me. With my phone firmly in hand, I flipped it open and saw the low battery sign. I hit speed dial #1 and prayed there was enough juice left for this call.

"Yo." He answered.

"Ranger!" I nearly shouted. "I need help. He's chasing me and shooting!"

"Babe, where are you?" He said. His voice took on the no-nonsense tone he affected when he was in full command mode. I heard him tell one of the guys to pull up my tracker at the same time I told him that I didn't know where I was anymore. I'd been in such a hurry to get away from the other traffic and kept trying to lose my tail by making a lot of turns, that I was hopelessly lost. All I could tell is that I was now somewhere by the marina.

"I'm on the way, Babe, just stay on the line." He said calmly.

"My phone's about to die," I cried. I was getting more and more scared when all I could see around me were boat slips and a fishing pier on the Delaware River. I realized too late that I had turned down a dead-end road at the same time another bullet shot through the car, this time busting out the windshield. The Bronco was behind me and approaching fast. The unexpected impact of his car hitting my bumper jarred my body and caused me to drop my cell phone. Not that that was a terrible loss, it had probably died already, and at least Ranger already knew where I was. I picked up speed to so he couldn't hit me again.

Too quickly, I was approaching the pedestrian access point for the pier and nearing the end of the parking area. I would have to double back the way I came and try to make a quick turn down one of the other parking rows to avoid the Bronco. The good news was that he would have to slow down too, so I might still be able to put some distance between our bumpers.

My foot let off the gas and attempted to apply the brakes, but was unsuccessful. There was something stuck behind the brake pedal preventing me from stopping… my cell phone! "Shit!" I screamed when I ran out of road. The car was still going way too fast to attempt a ninety degree turn, so I swung left and busted through the barrier to the fishing pier. I leaned down to try to reach my phone and heard another bullet hit the car. The Bronco hadn't followed onto the pier, so if I could stop before I reached the end, I could just wait here for Ranger to show up.

I honked the horn to alert anyone who may have been on the pier, but it was getting dark and the people were few. Despite the noise of the tires rolling across the wooden planks, however, I was able to hear a few screams. My cell phone was almost within reach when I felt the impact of the car hitting the barricade at the end of the pier. I barely had time to register the cold of the water before I lost consciousness.

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A/N

So now we know how Stephanie ended up in the hospital. I hope the memory wasn't too difficult to follow. I will be picking up the next chapter with Steph's response to that memory and how it may have an impact on the threat against her. Thanks, Chica.


	7. Chapter 7

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

OK, I wasn't planning on posting another chapter until tomorrow, but I finished this one early and thought it could be a little bonus for all those who have made this story a favorite. Thanks to all my readers and followers, too. I'd love to get your take on this chapter and your guesses for what is to come. Thanks, Chica.

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I sat on my bed with my knees pulled to my chest. It was uncomfortable, but I just couldn't seem to get warm. I was horrified. If this is the kind of life I was living, no wonder I've chosen to block it out! Who would want to remember being shot at or driving off a pier? I sat there slowly rocking back and forth, telling myself over and over again that I didn't want to remember, like it was my mantra. Maybe if I said it often enough it would come true. As I was contemplating the power of positive thinking, I heard Ranger's voice.

"What happened?" Ranger growled.

Looking up I realized that my room had once again been taken over by men in black and several hospital staffers. Jenny seemed terrified and kept stepping further and further way from a clearly angry Ranger. It was a good thing that I knew we were friends or I might be scared of him, too.

"I..I don't know," Jenny stammered. "She seemed fine and I left her to shower in private. After a little while I knocked on the door and didn't get a response. When I went in to check on her, I found her sitting in the shower chair under a stream of cold water." Jenny looked at Dr. Wesen and back to Ranger before she continued. "She was unresponsive and shaking violently when I opened the door, so I turned off the water, dried her off, got her dressed, and brought her back to bed."

"Did she tell you what happened?" Ranger asked. "What did she say?"

"She wouldn't answer any of my questions." Jenny replied. "But she was whispering to herself. She said, 'I don't want to remember'."

I didn't recall any of what happened after I got in the shower. And while Jenny was right, and I absolutely didn't want to remember anything else, I just didn't realize that I had said that out loud. I now knew for sure that the dream I had when I first woke up was not a nightmare, but a memory. Another chill ran through me as I remembered hitting the end of the pier. I remembered the pain and the fear as I hit the water. The images kept running through my mind like they were part of a movie reel and on an endless loop. Me running and falling down. Me driving and trying to escape. Bullets flying at me. My car hitting the water. Over and over again, the images flew through my head. I couldn't take it anymore! I covered my face with my hands and screamed for it to stop.

The side of my bed dipped down as a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. I stopped rocking and allowed myself the comfort of these arms. "You're OK, Babe." Ranger whispered in my ear. "You're safe and I'm going to keep you that way."

I shook my head from side to side in disagreement. "No. No, Ranger, I'm not." I said. "I think I've taken everything pretty well so far. I've lost my memory, had to deal with my really self-absorbed mother, I found out I have an ex-boyfriend and no romantic prospects, and, oh yeah, some guy attacked me in my hospital room!" I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "It's just not fair that I would forget everything important in my life except the first time someone tried to kill me."

The man in black that had been standing by the window snorted. "Well, that's not…" He started to say, but was interrupted by a slap to the back of the head by the security man who had been talking with Jenny.

"Good grief, Zero, use your head!" He said in a low voice.

"Zero, mats, 0500!" Ranger said. Zero nodded and both men left the room to stand guard again at the door. Dr. Wesen and Jenny also took that as a cue to leave and slipped out of the room.

Clearly I missed something, but as usual, I didn't have a clue what it was. The warmth of Ranger's body pressed to mine and the brief exchange between the men had distracted me enough, though, that my shaking had stopped. I pulled away from Ranger and saw that I must have been crying into his shirt the whole time he held me. "I'm sorry," I said. "It looks like I ruined your shirt."

Ranger wiped away the tears that remained on my face. Why was it that I always cried when he was around? What a wet blanket! I can certainly see how this behavior would keep me stuck in the "friend zone" with Ranger. His main argument was, of course, that his life wasn't safe for me to be around. I can't imagine how much worse it would be than two assassination attempts in less than 10 days.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Ranger said. He smiled at me and walked over to the pitcher on the side table to pour me some water. "Here." He said as he handed me the plastic cup.

I obediently took a sip and gave him back the cup. Ranger put it back next to the pitcher and sat down again on my bed, this time putting a couple of feet between us. He picked up my hand and looked me in the eyes. "Please tell me what you remember." He said.

My head started shaking side to side again. "Please, Ranger, I don't want to think about it." I said. I knew it wouldn't take much for the water works to start back up, and I really didn't want to cry anymore.

"Babe," He said. "I need to know what you remember so I can go get the bad guys." He squeezed my hand gently and tucked a loose curl behind my ear. "I promise I will keep you safe, but you've got to tell me what happened."

I took a deep breath and described in detail everything I could remember from the time I was running down the alley to when I was driving down the pier. "You were there, right?" I asked. "I mean, I don't remember anything after hitting the water but you said you would find me. What happened next?"

"Yeah, Babe," He began. "I was there. We arrived in time to see your car break through the end of the pier and hit the water. I honestly don't know if the driver of the Bronco was still there when we arrived or not, I was solely focused on getting to you. That's why I needed you to tell me what happened. I have no idea who was after you or why. At least we have a vehicle description to work with now."

I nodded my understanding. "I don't know who it was either. I can't remember anything until I was running away from him. I don't even know why he was after me." I sighed in frustration. "Ranger, I'm scared."

Ranger squeezed my hand again, "I know you are, Babe, but I will make sure you're safe." He had a look of pure determination on his face and I couldn't help but believe every word he said.

"So how did I get out of the water? Did you jump in after me?" I asked shyly.

"Actually, one of the fishermen that you tried to run over had jumped into the water to avoid your car." Ranger grinned at me. "He swam over to you and got the door open by the time we arrived. One of my guys is a Seal and by far the best swimmer of the bunch, so he jumped in after you. He made sure to keep your head supported as they pulled you out of the car, since they didn't know how badly you'd been hurt and didn't want to injure you further."

I made a mental note to thank my rescuers at the first available opportunity. Before we got too far off track, though, I brought the conversation back to my assailants.

"Have you learned anything about the man who attacked me here?" I asked. "Was he one of the people I was supposed to capture as a bounty hunter?" I looked at him hopefully. "Do you think he was the one in the Bronco? Maybe it's over and I'm safe now?"

Ranger looked irritated and shook his head. "No, his prints aren't in the system and we're still waiting to find out if facial recognition software will be successful." I let out a sigh and pouted. Ranger laughed at my antics. "Don't worry, Babe. We won't stop until we figure this out." He got off the bed and tucked the blanket tight around me. "It's getting late, rest now and we'll talk more in the morning."

"I don't want to be alone." I whispered. "Can someone stay in here with me?"

"Sleep, Babe." He said. "I'll be here."

* * *

A phone rang and woke me from my sleep. I heard Ranger stand up and walk away from my bed as he answered the call.

"Yo." Ranger said.

"Mendez? You can't be serious!" Ranger was making a fist so tight with his free hand that his knuckles were turning white. He looked murderous. "He's not even supposed to be state side, why would one of his thugs go after Steph?"

"No. There's no way. I personally vetted every member of my team. If there's a leak, it came from higher up." Ranger ran his hand down his face in frustration. "Get everyone together in conference room 'C' at 09:00. I need to make some calls." Ranger hung up the phone, and stood up straight before looking at me. A mixture of emotions flashed across his face… Regret, fear, anger, love, and lastly determination.

He approached my bed and kissed my forehead lightly. "I have to go, Babe." He said. Ranger must have seen the worry cross my face because he told me that he would make sure someone was always by my side while he was gone.

I relaxed a little bit and told him to be careful. He smiled at me and replied, "Always." He paused when he opened the door and had a brief conversation with the men who were standing guard.

"Sweet!" I heard someone say.

"No way," Someone else replied. "You got to talk to her yesterday; it's my turn." Before the first man had an opportunity to respond, my companion for the day entered the room. He was about six feet tall, Caucasian, and had his hair cut in a military fashion. He, of course, had the ridiculous musculature that I'd begun to expect from all Ranger's men, but his most noticeable feature was the flaming skull tattoo on his forehead.

He approached the bed with a silly grin on his face and I couldn't help but smile back at him. "Hey, Bomber," He said. "Looks like you get to spend the day with me!" He sat down in the chair by the bed.

Who was he talking about? I'm no bomber… Please let me not be a bomber!

I must have said that out loud because the man next to me started to chuckle. "Sorry, I forget that you don't remember us." He said. "My name's Cal and Bomber is a nickname a lot of the guys call you. It's actually a shortened up version of Bombshell Bounty Hunter."

Bombshell Bounty Hunter… that sounds pretty impressive. It doesn't roll off the tongue like blond bombshell, but it has a nice ring to it. I nodded my head at Cal and asked him how I got that name.

"Well, Bomber," He said. "That's a bit of a long story."

"I'm not going anywhere." I replied.


	8. Chapter 8

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Sorry I didn't get this chapter out yesterday, but I hope it is worth the wait. I'm loving all the great reviews and ideas; you guys are awesome! Thanks, Chica.

* * *

Cal sat with me recounting story after story about me and the Rangemen. Not only did I learn how I came to be called the Bombshell Bounty Hunter, I found out that I had led about 20 cars to their deaths… though it didn't sound like it was my fault for most of them. Cal and I agreed that it wasn't right to call me by a nickname when I had no recollection of the events that led to it, so he was going to call me Stephanie from now on. I told him I wouldn't hold it against him if he called me bomber out of habit, but he said he would make a point to call me by my name.

"At least until you remember me." He said with a wink.

While I ate my breakfast, Cal told me about growing up in California and how he was the youngest of five children. Both his parents worked a lot of hours in order to support the household, so he and his siblings were left to fend for themselves most of the time. He said he started cooking for his brothers and sister just to avoid eating the fish sticks that his only sister, Julia, would make for dinner. It turned out that the boys had told her that since she was the girl, she should have to cook for them. Julia's passive-aggressive approach was to only make fish sticks, thinking that everyone would get tired of them and someone else would volunteer to cook.

"We ate fish sticks every night for two weeks." Cal said. "My brothers didn't even seem to notice, but I thought I was going to lose my marbles if I didn't get some variety. To this day, I can't eat breaded fish."

"Sounds like Julia's plan worked." I said with a smile.

"Yeah," He said. "I guess it did." He returned my smile. "I actually got pretty good at a number of dishes and continued the nightly cooking regimen until my brother Jason moved out. It didn't seem worth the effort to cook every night when it was just me. My parents were never home for dinner so I would often make a big production out of cooking on the weekend and portioning out individual servings of meatloaf or lasagna or chicken teriyaki, that I could heat up for myself on school nights. It had the added bonus of leaving me with more time for my studies."

"So… you've clearly got the looks, you're smart, and you can cook," I began. "Tell me how some lucky girl hasn't snatched you up yet."

Cal blushed and lowered his eyes in embarrassment. "I don't know, Steph." He said. "Most women look at me and run the other way."

"I can certainly see how you might intimidate them with your muscles and your tattoo… some people might assume that you were a hard ass or a bit of a trouble maker." I said. "But anyone worth your time would be able to tell in only five minutes with you, how much of a sweetheart you are. You do have me curious though; what made you want to get a tattoo on your forehead in the first place, let alone a flaming skull?"

"Believe it or not," He began. "I was a runt in high school." I stared at him in obvious disbelief. I mean really, the guy was six feet of solid muscle. No way was he a runt.

"It's true." He chuckled. "I didn't hit my growth spurt until I was eighteen years old. All through high school I was picked on by the guys and ignored by the girls. When I turned eighteen, I wanted a way to frighten my enemies, or at least make them stop to think before they pummeled me, and I thought a scary tattoo in the middle of my forehead would send that message. It seemed like a good idea at the time… no one in their rational mind would do that, right, so I must be crazy… people don't want to mess with the crazy guy."

"I suppose they don't" I replied.

"After I graduated, I had started looking at the military as a career choice, and the Navy in particular because I've always been a strong swimmer. I was afraid of flunking out of basic training though, so I started working out and getting my fitness level up. It just so happened that I grew six inches over the next eight months." Cal smiled wistfully. "Unfortunately, my tattoo almost cost me that career before I even got it. The military is pretty adamant about keeping a certain image with the public, and a flaming skull in the middle of your forehead wasn't exactly what they were after. Fortunately for me, I showed significant skills that were in demand. That's how I ended up as a SEAL."

"What do SEALs do?" I asked.

"SEALs are specialized group of Navy men that are trained to infiltrate in small groups by Sea, Air, or Land." He said. "It's similar to the Army's Rangers, which is what Ranger, Tank, Lester, and a few of the other guys are."

"Wait a minute." I said. "Ranger said that one of his guys was a SEAL, and that he was the one to pull me out of my car when I crashed through the barricade on the pier." I paused and looked at him in earnest. "Was that you?"

"The one and only!" He smirked.

I looked at him for a moment before responding. "You saved my life." I told him. "Saying 'thank you' doesn't seem like enough, but thank you." I blushed and looked down.

"Anytime, Steph. I'd do anything for you… all of us would." He said sincerely.

I looked up at him with curiosity. "But why?" I asked. "I can't imagine I would have needed to hire security like this all that often, so how did we get to be friends?"

"Well for starters," He began. "You don't hire us. Ranger assigns us as your protection detail, or just puts you on lock-down in the Rangeman building. And to be honest, most of the time you try to ditch us."

"Ditch you?" I queried. "Why, don't I like you guys?" I suddenly felt really bad, like I was taking advantage of Cal if he didn't really want to spend time with me.

"Hey, come on now." He responded. "You obviously like us… what's not to like?" He smiled that cocky grin again. "Of course there was the time you shot Tank, or the time you stun-gunned Hal."

My mouth dropped open and I stared at Cal, stunned for several seconds. "I..I shot someone?" I stammered.

"Oh sure." He said. "You've shot people a few times, though Tank was an accident."

I started to feel queasy. Cal must be joking with me, right? Oh, man, I must act like some sort of crazy person shooting people all the time. No wonder they had to lock me up. Why would they be friends with me, I should be in prison! I _so_ don't want to go to prison. What am I going to do? Maybe this is why people were trying to kill me… I must have shot at them or someone they know. The room was suddenly tilting and my vision was starting to fade.

"Whoa, breathe Steph." I heard Cal say, though he sounded as if he was at the end of a long tunnel. I realized I had been holding my breath and let it out slowly. He started gently rubbing his hand up and down my back. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think."

Eventually my breathing evened out and I could once again see Cal. The expression on his face switched back and forth between concern and guilt. I didn't want Cal to worry about me or to feel bad for telling me what kind of maniac I was. I tried to smile at him, but I think it came out as more of a grimace.

"It's OK, Cal." I said. "I just can't understand why you guys would want to spend any amount of time with me, I must be a total menace." I lowered my head and looked at my hands. I didn't want to see any pity in his eyes, and I certainly didn't want to see the guilt that was written across his face a moment ago.

He put his hand on my chin and raised my head gently. "No, it's not OK, Stephanie. I'm sorry. I should have explained things better." He took a deep breath. "You've had a little bad luck," He acknowledged. "Remember what I told you about the cars?" I nodded that I did. "Sometimes you seem to attract the crazies, through no fault of your own, and you've had to protect yourself. That does not make you a menace." He looked at me with such sincerity that I couldn't help but believe him.

"What about Tank and Hal?" I asked.

"Well, Tank was an accident, and it was only a shot to his leg… he's perfectly fine." Cal said.

"And Hal?" I asked. "Why did I stun-gun him?"

"In that case," Cal started. "I think you were just going stir crazy from being on lock-down. Hal was guarding you to keep you inside the building." He paused for a moment. "You don't tend to do too well with confinement."

"So, when you say 'lock-down', you mean that I was held against my will? Who would do that to me?" I asked.

Cal ran his hand through his short hair and exhaled slowly. "Ranger would order a lock-down when your life was in danger. We all just want to keep you safe. Sometimes you are a little impulsive, which has been known to get you into trouble."

"Ranger." I said. "I guess you are supposed to keep me in this room then, huh?" Cal looked torn, like he wasn't sure how to respond. I put my hand on his to ease his mind. "But why would Ranger do that? I'm sure it's costing him money having a security detail guarding my door instead of protecting someone else. Why does he do it?"

"Steph, Ranger's in love with you." Cal said quietly.

"No." I replied. "He said he loves me in his own way… that we're just friends."

"Idiot." Cal mumbled to himself. I looked at him puzzled.

"Look," He said. "It's not my place to say anything, but you two have been dancing around each other for years. I think the only person who's a bigger commitment-phobe than Ranger, is you. That's why you were on-again, off-again with the cop for so long.

"He said his life was dangerous. Too dangerous for me." I replied.

"Well, it seems to me that you find enough danger on your own, wouldn't you say?" He asked as he looked around the room and his eyes settled on the repaired window. "Maybe you guys would be safer together… But if he refuses to get his head out of his ass, I know there are a lot of guys that would be fighting for the chance to go out with you." Cal winked at me and I blushed again.

"I doubt that." I said quietly.

"Don't." He said. "You're a find, Steph. Not many women look past our scary exterior to get to know us. You're one of the most kind and genuine people I know, and I'm proud to call you my friend."

I was embarrassed by the praise and Cal's obvious sincerity, so I changed the subject. "You said earlier that I have bad luck with crazy people and that I've had to defend myself. How did I do that exactly? You've said I shot people… so, am I gun-happy, or do I know Kung Fu or something?"

Cal surprised me by laughing out loud. "Steph, you hate your gun and most days that you should carry it with you, you leave it in the cookie jar on your kitchen counter. As for Kung Fu, not a chance. Trying to get you to agree to run with us or do any kind of training is pretty much a waste of breath."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" I exclaimed. "If I truly attract crazy people like you said I do, shouldn't I know how to protect myself?"

"And she sees the light." Ranger said. I didn't notice when he walked into the room, but he had a big smile on his face after hearing my last sentence. He approached the bed and Cal jumped off it, looking a little chagrinned.

"I'll stand guard at the door." Cal said.

I reached for his hand before he had the chance to step away. "Thanks, Cal. For everything." I smiled at him and didn't miss the look of accusation Ranger sent him. Hopefully he wouldn't get into trouble on my account.

"How are you feeling, Babe?" Ranger asked as Cal slipped into the hall.

"Much better." I replied.

"You ready to check out of here?" He asked.

"Leave the hospital, do you mean?" I asked. "Dr. Wesen said that I'd probably be here a week. Were my test results that good that they're letting me leave early?"

"Your test results show you healing exactly as expected." Ranger replied. "At this point you just need to have someone checking on you periodically to make sure there aren't any complications and to make sure you get your medication on time. Rangeman has a full-time medic on hand who will take care of all your medical needs while you recover in a more secure setting."

Now it made more sense. He wanted to lock me up in his building again. As much as I hated the idea of being held against my will, I also realized that I was terrified of being alone. I mean, someone did try to kill me, and I don't know for sure if the Bronco guy was the same one who attacked me in the hospital.

"OK." I said.

"OK?" He questioned. He seemed surprised that I would agree to go back to his building and have his medic look after me. I wasn't an idiot though… at least, I wasn't anymore.

"Yeah," I continued. "I know you'll want to lock me up for my own good, and at this point, I'm too scared to be by myself. I'm certainly in no condition to look after myself, so if you and your men are willing to help me out, I'm going to let you."

He smiled. "Thanks, Babe."


	9. Chapter 9

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

Ranger introduced me to Bobby Brown, the company medic who would be checking in on me and administering my medication at Rangeman headquarters. He was very professional and had a good bedside manner, not to mention the man was hot! That must be part of the Rangeman job description… Bobby stood a little over six feet tall, had a slim, muscular frame, and the most delicious looking milk chocolate skin.

After talking with Bobby for a few minutes, Dr. Wesen entered the room to look me over one last time before I could be discharged from the hospital. He determined that it was safe for me to leave provided that I was not going to be alone for more than a couple of hours at a time, and that someone was nearby if I needed assistance. Ranger assured Dr. Wesen that I would be well taken care of, and Bobby whisked the doctor away to discuss my medical file, and to ask for a copy of my records.

I was able to trade in my pajamas for a pair of black yoga pants and an over-sized Rangeman t-shirt that Ranger had brought with him. The shirt was long enough that it hit me mid-thigh and I loved it. He even brought a pair of black ballet flats so I was dressed in head-to-toe black, just like I was part of the crew.

About an hour after Ranger first came into my room and announced I would be able to leave, he was pushing me down the hall in a wheelchair. In addition to Ranger and Bobby were Santos (whose first name I found out was Lester), and Zip. Cal and Ram had been relieved of their shift when Ranger returned and Lester and Zip were their replacements. When we got out of the elevator on the first floor, I was escorted to the rear entrance of the hospital and into an awaiting black SUV.

I recognized the driver as the taller of the two men who came barreling into my hospital room when I woke up from my nightmare. He didn't say anything as Ranger lifted me from the wheelchair and placed me gently into the center seat of the vehicle. Ranger and Bobby sat on either side of me while the other guys got into an identical SUV that was parked behind us. Once we were all buckled in and comfortable, the caravan took off towards Rangeman.

As soon as we were underway, I introduced myself to the driver. "Hi, I'm Stephanie." I said to him. "Of course, you probably know that already."

He was quiet but gave a small smile and an affirming head nod. "I'm Hal." He said.

"Hal." I said. "Oh, you're the one I stun gunned!" Bobby looked at me with wonder and Hal grimaced. "Sorry about that." I told Hal.

"Bomber, do you remember that?" Asked Bobby.

"No." I replied. "Cal told me about it earlier."

The rest of the ten minute drive passed quickly as Ranger filled me on all things Rangeman. He told me that part of the reason he selected this building for their headquarters is that it is both centrally located to the majority of their clients and it's close to the hospital in case one of his guys is injured. The building houses three floors for office spaces and conference rooms, three floors of apartments, a professional gym, and a gun range. In addition to the Trenton offices, there are Rangeman facilities in Miami and Boston.

When we approached the building, Hal clicked his key fob and the black wrought-iron fence rolled back allowing for access to the lower level parking. I began to feel claustrophobic the minute the gate began to close behind us and we continued forward into a sea of black vehicles. I took a deep breath and tried to slow my rapidly increasing heartbeat.

"Babe?" Ranger said.

"Are you in pain?" Bobby added.

"I'm OK." I replied. "I know I came here voluntarily… it's just that I'm beginning to feel a little like a caged animal and I just got here. I'm worried that, with my history, I'll go a little stir-crazy." Hal looked nervous and I immediately felt guilty for zapping him, even though I didn't remember doing it. "Don't worry, Hal. I'm not going to attack anyone." I gave him my biggest smile.

"I'm glad to hear it, Babe." Ranger said. "But I think you'll find the accommodations here much more pleasant than those at the zoo."

"I'm sure you're right." I smiled up at him. He had such beautiful brown eyes when he smiled, they almost twinkled.

Bobby and Hal both chuckled and Ranger's smile grew even wider. "Thanks, Babe." He said.

I realized that I had said that last part out loud. "Oops." The guys all grinned as Ranger unbuckled my belt and pulled me into his lap before sliding out of the vehicle.

"Ranger!" I exclaimed. "I can walk, you know!"

He started walking towards an elevator. "I did know that," He stated flatly. "But I didn't want lunch to get cold while I waited for you to shuffle across the garage."

"Hey!" I said indignantly. Ranger just grinned.

Bobby, Hal, Lester, Zip, Ranger, and I all got into the elevator together. Zip pressed the button for the fifth floor and Ranger pressed the button for the seventh.

Lester gave Ranger a knowing look and an almost imperceptible nod. "I'll come see you later, Beautiful." He winked at me again and I blushed and hid my face in Ranger's chest. What a flirt!

We got off at the seventh floor and proceeded to a single door at the end of the hall. Ranger opened the door and we stepped into an elegant foyer. The walls were done in rich shades of brown and the furniture was both antique and beautiful. He placed his keys inside a dish on the sideboard and carried me down the hall into the living room, where he set me down on the brown leather couch.

"I had Ella bring up some lunch for us. I figured you'd be hungry." Ranger said.

My stomach took that opportunity to agree… loudly! I wrapped my arm around my middle hoping to muffle the noise. "Who's Ella?" I asked.

"Ella is my housekeeper and an amazing cook." He replied. "She and her husband, Luis, have an apartment on the sixth floor. Luis is our in-house maintenance/repair man. Between the two of them, we're kept in comfort around here." As he talked, Ranger began pulling dishes from the cupboard and setting the table. He then grabbed a couple of oven mitts and pulled a large casserole dish from the oven.

"Smells good." I got up from the couch and made my way over to the dining table as Ranger placed the casserole down. I sat down in the chair on the side of the table, leaving the end for Ranger. He grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge before joining me.

I watched Ranger's face as he dished up our plates. He seemed to be struggling with an internal debate of some sort. I sat quietly waiting for him to make up his mind but he didn't say anything so I left it alone in favor of trying the casserole. It had noodles and sauce with cheese in every bite… in short, it was delicious! I had a couple of bites and noticed that Ranger had yet to try any. I gave him an inquiring look before telling him to "Just spit it out, whatever it is."

He took a deep breath and let it out. "Babe, I want you to know that you are safe here and that we are going to do whatever it takes to eliminate the threat against you." I nodded my head in response but he still looked tense. "Stephanie," He began. Oh no, my first name again… this can't be good. "We believe the person behind the attack in the hospital is a man named Eduardo Mendez. Mendez is an up-and-coming in the drug trade in Venezuela, but has his hands in human trafficking and gun smuggling as well."

I put down my fork and looked at him. "OK," I replied. "So why would a drug lord from Venezuela want to kill me?"

"In addition to a majority ownership in Rangeman, I sometimes take on assignments for the government." He said. "Now I can't talk about that with you, nor would I want to, but suffice it to say that I've had dealings with Mendez before. Though I'm not sure how, it appears that he has learned of my involvement in a mission to shut down his operation, and it looks like he's retaliating against me by targeting you."

I suddenly lost my appetite. This couldn't be real, could it? I mean, Ranger's supposed to be some sort of top secret Rambo, and this guy wants to kill me because of it? How did my life get so complicated? Again I was struck with the idea that maybe my amnesia was a self-preservation move.

"Ranger," I whispered. "Why would he do that? Why would he think that it would hurt you if I died?"

Anger and sadness flitted across Ranger's face and I could see the indecision in his eyes. He clearly didn't want to tell me.

"Babe, you're important to me." He said. "Your safety means more to me than anything." He paused and ran his hand down his face. "I'm so sorry, Babe. This is all my fault. I should have kept my distance. You shouldn't have to suffer for my deeds."

His argument wasn't making much sense to me. "You said it was out of concern for my safety that we've kept our relationship completely professional, right?" I asked.

"Well, maybe not completely professional." Ranger replied quietly. He had a hint of a smile on his face.

I blushed at his insinuation but pressed on. "It doesn't sound like your plan is working out all that well, does it?"

"No, I guess it doesn't." He answered.

"Seems to me that if they're going to come after me anyway, I'd be safer with you than without." I said quietly. My head was beginning to hurt and I rubbed my temples with my fingertips before asking, "What am I supposed to do with this information?"

"To be honest, I've been conflicted as to whether or not to share this information with you. In fact, it was my core team that was firmly convinced that you should know what was happening. I didn't think we should scare you with information you couldn't do anything about." Ranger paused to consider before continuing. "The guys were right about one thing, though, this involves you directly, and you should know what we're up against. So, if you're up to it, I'd like you to take a look at pictures of the key personnel in Mendez's organization to see if anyone looks familiar. If we know who the players are, we can come up with a better plan of attack." He reached his hand to mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion… At the same time I felt frightened, anxious, nauseous, and to a small extent, hopeful. I hardly knew Ranger, but I trusted him and I believed him when he said that he'd keep me safe.

"OK," I started. "Here's the deal. The bulk of my memory only goes back a couple of days, but I'm willing to look at those pictures and see if I can jog some memories back. What I'm not willing to do is sit in the dark and have you make decisions about my welfare, without my input. I don't know how things have worked between us in the past, but there are too many unknowns for me right now to be comfortable with you keeping things from me."

I looked at Ranger to see how he'd respond and he nodded his head. "OK, Babe. I'll keep you in the loop." He looked down at my plate. "Didn't like it?" He questioned.

"Actually," I said. "It tastes great, I just don't have much of an appetite right now."

"Why don't you rest for a little while?" He suggested. "Do you need another pain pill?"

"I'm a little achy, but it's not so bad." I said. "Let's wait."

Ranger nodded, then stood to help me up from the table. He led me down the hall to a massive bedroom with a gorgeous king-sized bed and a large attached bathroom. Ranger helped me settle into the cushy bed and removed my shoes before tucking me in.

"You're right," I said. "Much nicer accommodations than the zoo." I smiled at him sleepily.

"Get some rest, Babe." He replied. "I'll check on you in a little while." He turned to leave the room and I was asleep before he got to the door.

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A/N

OK, so there's a lot happening in this chapter. Hopefully you like where it's going. We've found out a little about whose after Steph, but things are not all as they seem… Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your feedback, Chica.


	10. Chapter 10

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

OK, this story is probably going to take off in a direction that surprises a few of you, but bear with me… I promise it'll all come back together soon. Thanks for the feedback! Chica.

* * *

I woke with a pounding in my head and a sour stomach. My whole body ached and I was thirsty. It took me a minute to remember where I was before I went in search of some water… At least I could address one problem out of four. Remembering that Ranger had bottles of ice-cold water in the fridge, I made to head that direction. When I sat up, however, I realized the nausea from earlier hadn't gone away, and I was very close to ruining Ranger's plush carpet. I stumbled as quickly as I could to the bathroom and got there just in time to bow down to the porcelain god.

After the heaving stopped I flushed the toilet, then got to my feet so I could find the sink and rinse my mouth. I was pleased to find new toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste in the medicine cabinet, and made quick work of cleaning my teeth and brushing my tongue. The couple of minutes I sat on the tile floor had been enough to give me a chill, so I wanted to get back under the covers as soon as possible.

I was holding on to the wall, making my way back to the bed when I felt strong hands on my shoulders. "Angelita?"

My vision was getting a little blurry and the room began to tilt. "Hector? I don't feel so well." I whispered.

I must have fallen over because my legs were no longer touching the floor, but I never felt the impact. Hector was talking to me in Spanish and I realized that he was carrying me back to the bed. The only thing he said that I understood was that I was going to be OK… just like how he comforted me in the hospital. I wondered if he knew any other English and smiled as he laid me down in the bed and pulled the covers back over me. The shivering didn't stop, but the sheets felt nice and the bed was soft.

"Bobby, Angelita te necesita." _(Bobby, Angel needs you)_ Hector said. "Traer su bolsa." _(Bring your bag)_ He put his phone back into his pocket.

I didn't know what Hector had said, but he sounded upset. If I wasn't so achy, I would get up and give him a hug. Maybe he'd feel better if he laid down next to me and we snuggled… plus he could help me get warm. I was interrupted from my musing by Ranger's voice.

"Report!" He said.

Well that was rude! Why wouldn't he just ask us what was going on? I felt like I was a little kid that was getting yelled at for doing something wrong. "You shouldn't talk to Hector like that." I said. "He's going to snuggle with me." I closed my eyes again and tried to stop shaking.

"¿De qué está hablando?" _(What is she talking about)_ Ranger asked. "¿Que paso?" _(What happened)_

"No tengo ni idea. Yo vine verificar sobre su y ella era punto de caerse." _(I have no idea. I came to check on her and she was about to fall over)_ Hector replied. "No lo se lo qué está mal con ella." _(I don't know what is wrong with her)_.

I opened my eyes and was met with two sets of brown eyes looking back at me. "No fair talking in Spanish." I said. "I can't understand you." I pouted.

Ranger smiled at me. "Sorry, Babe. Want to tell me what's going on?"

"I'm thirsty." I said. Hector left the room and came back with a bottle of water for me. I nodded my appreciation as he twisted off the cap and handed it to me. I drank greedily and finished half of it before giving it back. "Thank you." I said. I looked to Ranger and said, "I don't think Ella's cooking agrees with me."

Bobby jogged into the bedroom carrying his medical bag. "What's going on?" He said

"She's sick." Ranger replied. "She thinks it was Ella's food, but she only had a couple of bites."

I tried to roll my eyes at his opinion but that just made my head hurt worse. "Uuhhh." I grunted. "Please make the pounding stop." I closed my eyes and snuggled further under the covers. Bobby sat next to me on the mattress, pulled the covers down far enough to expose my shoulders, and then he brushed some hair out of my face.

"Whoa, Bomber!" He said. "You're burning up." He pulled an ear thermometer out of his bag, snapped a disposable cover on the end, and proceeded to take my temperature. After a few seconds the thermometer beeped. "101.2." Bobby read.

I shivered again. "C..cold." I stuttered.

"What are your other symptoms?" He asked.

"Head hurts… body aches… and vomiting." I said as I curled up under the covers again.

"What is it?" Ranger asked. He sounded worried.

"Could be the stomach flu or an infection of some sort." Bobby replied. "I don't have any way to know what it is here, but I can draw blood and send it to a lab. If it's a common infection we should know what it is and how to treat it within a couple of hours."

"It came on really quickly." Ranger said. "She's only been out of the hospital for a few hours. Did she pick up a bug before she left?"

"That's certainly a possibility." Bobby replied. "I'm a little concerned though. Bomber was given a broad spectrum antibiotic as a preventative measure due to her dunk in the river. That would be the traditional treatment for a bacterial infection, so either this strain is antibiotic-resistant, or it isn't a typical infection."

"What do you mean?" Ranger asked.

"There's not much point in speculating." Bobby said. "Let's get the blood work going so we can find out what we're dealing with. In the meantime, we can try to make her as comfortable as possible."

I looked at the three men that surrounded me. They continued to talk to one another like I wasn't even in the room, but they were obviously worried so I decided to let it pass. What wasn't going to pass was a visit to the bathroom again. I sat up and put my hand over my mouth as I tried to figure out how I could possibly make it to the toilet before I was sick. Hector reacted quickly and thrust a nearby trash can into my lap.

If I didn't feel so bad, it would have really bothered me to puke in front of three hot men. As it was, I didn't care. "Sorry." I said as I gave the trash can back to Hector. Ranger had disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a wet wash cloth which he used to wipe my face.

"Do we need to take her to the hospital?" Ranger asked Bobby.

"No!" I cried. "Please. I just got out of there!"

"It's OK, Bomber," Bobby told me. "We don't need to do that yet. But I will need to draw some blood." He began reaching into his bag for what he would need.

"Fine. Just get it over with so I can go back to sleep." I whined. After a moment, I began to feel guilty for talking to him that way. "I'm sorry, Bobby. I know this isn't your fault. I just feel so rotten."

"I know." He said. "Don't worry about it. I'll have you feeling better in no time." His smile distracted me from the prep work he was doing to my arm. "OK, just a little pinch." I closed my eyes and turned away from the arm he held.

"OK, all done." Bobby announced. He placed a bandage on the inside of my elbow and squeezed my hand gently. After putting the vials of blood into a plastic pouch, he pulled out a bottle of pills. "This is just Tylenol." He said. "Take two of these now and it should both treat your headache and reduce your fever."

Hector was ready with my bottle of water again, uncapped it and handed it over. I smiled at him. These guys are so nice to me. I don't know why… but I like it.

All three of the guys smiled at me at the same time. Oops. I should really try to figure out where my internal monologue button is and turn it back on… saying my thoughts out loud could get me in trouble.

I took the Tylenol and finished my water before lying back down on the bed. Bobby tucked me in and said he'd send my blood off to the lab and that he'd check on me in a little while. I nodded at him. "Thanks."

"¿Por qué no despegar?" _(Why don't you take off)_ Ranger said. "Yo me quedaré aquí." _(I'll stay here)_

Hector nodded to Ranger and brushed my hair out of my face. "Sentirse major." He said. Then he surprised me by saying, "feel better." I smiled big at his effort to talk to me in English.

"Thank you, Hector." I told him.

Hector left room and Ranger sat down on the bed beside me. He picked up my hand and rubbed his fingers from the back of my hand, up my arm, and back again. It felt nice and helped soothe me. "I'm sorry you're sick, Babe." He said. "You've had a rough couple of weeks."

"I guess so," I said. "Though, to be fair, I slept through most of it." I gave him a crooked smile and closed my eyes.

"Rest, Babe. I'll be here."

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A/N

So what do you think? Still with me?


	11. Chapter 11

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Wow, I got some great feedback after the last chapter! I'm so glad you all are staying with me to see where this story goes. I hope I meet with your expectations :) Janarden, you've perfectly explained my theory behind Stephanie's more logical behavior, great insight! OK, several of you were anxiously awaiting the blood results, so without further ado… (P.S. Feel better melyons – I'd give you Ranger if I could)

* * *

There were hands on either side of my face. "Babe, you need to wake up." I didn't want to open my eyes… I was so tired, but who could turn down that sexy voice? I looked through my blurry vision into Ranger's beautiful brown eyes and saw the worry there. I felt short of breath and my heart was racing like I'd just run a marathon. OK, so maybe I don't know what it feels like to have run a marathon, but something was certainly wrong with me, and I didn't think simple food-poisoning was to blame. I lifted my hands to my head hoping to convey the pain I was feeling without having to say anything.

I was going to be sick again but didn't have the strength to get up so I just rolled over and whispered, "Bucket." Ranger understood the situation immediately and had that same trash can below my face in an instant. Fortunately, someone had cleaned it since the last time I used it. When I was finished dry-heaving, I rolled over onto my back. I was so dizzy and miserable I just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Don't close your eyes, Stephanie." Ranger said. I did as I was instructed and kept my eyes open, though it was a struggle. Everything was fuzzy and out of focus, so I just stared at the ceiling. Ranger was wiping my face with a cool cloth, which felt nice. I smiled weakly at him as my eyes drifted closed again.

My mind felt like I was in a fog. I heard voices around me but didn't focus on them much until I made out Bobby's urgent voice, "105! We need to get her to the hospital, NOW!" The covers were quickly removed from my body and I shuttered at the sudden chill. Then I was weightless again as I was being carried through the room. I recognized Ranger's delicious scent, and opened my eyes. My head was so heavy that I couldn't even curl up into his chest, so I just looked at his beautiful face.

"Look after Rex for me." I told Ranger. He looked down at me in his arms with a puzzled expression. "He's my baby. My baby with Ranger. Take care of our baby, Ranger."

I closed my eyes and heard the most beautiful voice whispering before I passed out. "Quédate conmigo, Babe." _(Stay with me, Babe)_ "Por favor Dios, déjame mantendré." _(Please God, let me keep her)_

* * *

There were people talking all around me. When I looked, a woman in green scrubs approached my bed and dropped small bags of ice into each of my armpits and my groin. It was so cold, I whimpered, but was too weak to do anything else. "Try to relax." The woman said. "We've got to lower your body temperature." I closed my eyes again.

* * *

"The medication in her IV will take about an hour, then we'll add a saline drip to get her rehydrated. She's lost a lot of fluids and that's added to the concern for hypokalemia, so we'll probably start giving her potassium through her IV, too." I recognized Bobby's voice. "If this doesn't work, we'll have to start her on dialysis."

I turned to the sound of his voice and slowly opened my eyes. Bobby was standing beside a woman who was adjusting the IV connected to my arm. Wait, that was Jenny… that means I'm back in the hospital. Ugh! I just got out of this place. "Where's Ranger?" I asked.

"I'm here, Babe." I heard from the other side of my bed. I turned and saw him in a chair beside me, holding my hand.

"Hi." I said. He grinned at me and replied in kind. It hardly seems fair that he looks so beautiful, even when he is clearly stressed. At least he's here with me so I can ogle him all I want… His smile grew much wider.

Jenny left the room and Bobby sat down on the side of my bed, opposite Ranger. I looked at his face… he seemed tense. "Why am I back here?" I asked. "Did I get a stomach bug?"

"No, Bomber," He began. "You don't have a stomach bug. We sent off the blood I took from you for analysis, thinking you had some sort of virus, like the flu… or a bacterial infection that you could have picked up from the river or while you were in the hospital."

I nodded that I understood. "What did you find?" I asked him.

"What we found were extremely high levels of salicylate in your blood. Salicylate is the main ingredient in Aspirin." He said.

"But I didn't take any Aspirin, I only had the two Tylenol you gave me at Rangeman." I responded. "How did that happen, did someone at the hospital put it into my IV by mistake?"

"No, Babe." Ranger cut in. "This wasn't a mistake. It looks like your food was tampered with."

I was stunned. Someone tried to kill me. Again! "Wait a minute," I said. "I didn't eat lunch here, I ate with you. Are you sick?"

Ranger looked angry. "No." He said. "We believe your breakfast was poisoned. Apparently the symptoms can come on suddenly and might not show up for up to eight hours after ingestion. Whoever laced your oatmeal with Aspirin must have known you were leaving the hospital, or your symptoms would have been treated much more quickly, and the results would have been less severe.

"Less severe." I repeated. "What exactly has happened? Am I going to be OK?"

Bobby chimed in at this point. "Yes, of course you're going to be OK. You just had us worried for a while when your body temperature sky rocketed and we couldn't cool you down very quickly." He picked up my other hand. "I was just explaining to Ranger that we're giving you sodium bicarbonate through your IV. The medication should make your blood less acidic so your kidneys can capture more of the salicylate and get it out of your system."

"Then we can leave, right?" I said.

"You'll be staying tonight at the very least." Bobby said. "We won't be going anywhere until your vitals are back in the normal range, and that might be awhile."

"You know, I'm really beginning to hate this place." I whined.

Ranger chuckled. "That sounds more like the Babe I know." He smiled at me and ran his thumb in circles across the back of my hand.

"Oh yeah?" I asked him. "Tell me about the Stephanie that you remember."

"I think I'm going to go give the guys an update." Bobby said as he got up from the bed.

"What guys?" I asked.

"Bomber," Bobby began. "More than half of Rangeman is in the lobby waiting to hear how you're doing. The rest are working or they'd be here, too."

I was floored. "Really?" I squeaked. "But I hardly know them."

"But they know you." Bobby continued. "And right now, they're going to be anxious until I talk to them. Let Ranger tell you a little about the reason why there aren't any empty chairs in the hospital lobby." With that, Bobby squeezed my hand and walked out of the room.

I turned to look at Ranger. "Is that true?" I asked.

"Yes," He smiled. "You have quite the following, but they're not all Rangemen. You have friends from the police department and the bonds office here as well."

"Really?" I said. "How did they even know I was here; we haven't been here that long."

Ranger gave me a crooked grin. "That would be the 'Burg grapevine at its finest." After looking at my 'confused' face, he continued. "The 'Burg is short for Chambersburg. It's an area of Trenton where everybody seems to know everybody, and secrets are nearly impossible to keep. You grew up in the heart of it, and know a lot of people in the area.

That's one of the reasons that you are so good at locating your skips… a lot of your contacts are busy-body's that are happy to feed you information when you need it. While the 'Burg grapevine has certainly helped you over the years, you often complain when your trips to the hospital are public knowledge."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Huh." I said… eloquent, I know.

"Babe, do you remember who Rex is?" Ranger asked.

At the mention of the name, I visualized a furry rodent running on a stationary wheel. I _do_ know Rex! "He's my hamster!" I cried. "I remember him!" I gave Ranger a huge smile before a thought occurred to me. "Oh my God! I left him alone on the counter. Has anyone checked in on him?"

"Relax, Babe." He said. "He's in the breakroom on five. The guys like having him around and I'm sure he's being spoiled rotten by Ella." Ranger grinned at me but there was a flash of sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ranger." I said. "I wish I remembered you… I really do." My eyes started to tear up and I longed to understand why I couldn't stop thinking about this man who has been so devoted to me since I first woke up. Well, for longer, I suppose, I just don't remember.

"No, I'm sorry, Babe." He replied. "None of this is your fault. You wouldn't even be in this situation if not for me."

"Hey!" I demanded. "We talked about this already. If some drug lord gets a crazy idea in his head about hurting me, it is not your fault." I stared at him until he relented and nodded his head slightly. "That reminds me," I said. "You were going to show me some pictures."

"We don't have to do that now," Ranger started. "You should rest."

"I'm fine." I replied. "I'll rest after we're done. Do you have them with you?"

Ranger shook his head. "No, but I can send one of the guys to pick them up and bring them here." He picked up his phone and started typing a message. After a moment, his phone buzzed and Ranger looked at the screen. "We should have them in about twenty minutes. Why don't you close your eyes until they get here?"

My head was still hurting, so I agreed to rest until someone brought the pictures. I didn't plan on sleeping, but I guess I dozed off anyway.

* * *

When I woke, the pounding in my head was down to a dull ache and I was almost able to ignore it. I quickly realized that more than twenty minutes had passed because the sun was starting to come up and it had barely gotten dark when we arrived. I looked to the chair beside my bed and noticed that Ranger's seat was now leaning back against the wall and occupied by a sleeping Lester.

"They just let anyone in here, don't they?" I joked.

Lester startled awake and his chair was quickly on all four legs again. He glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings, before settling his eyes on me. "Beautiful!" He exclaimed. "You're looking much better. How do you feel?"

I thought about it for a moment while I considered my earlier complaints. Headache- still here but not too bad. Body aches– gone. Vomiting– gone (hopefully). Chills– gone. Dizziness / blurry vision– gone. Overall, I'd say that I'm feeling pretty good. Lester looked at me expectantly. "Sorry." I quickly said. "I'm feeling much better, thank you."

Lester smiled at me. "You've spent entirely too much time at this hospital lately, Beautiful." He said. "What do you say you give me and the rest of the guys a break and stay healthy for a while?" The big grin on Lester's face took away the sting of his accusation. Like I had anything to do with being here…

"It's not my fault." I chastised. "It's not like I poisoned myself just to have a bunch of hot guys hang around." I grinned at him. "Oh, that reminds me, Ranger was supposed to show me some pictures so I can see if I recognize anyone. Where'd he go?"

"He's interrogating the kitchen staff, trying to figure out who had access to your breakfast yesterday." Lester said. "But, I have the pictures if you want to look at them." He pulled a folded manila envelope out of a pocket in his cargo pants. "You sure you want to look at these?"

"I'm sure." I replied. "As weird as it sounds, I'm hoping I recognize someone. I've had so few memories, that even a scary one is starting to sound like a better alternative."

"That doesn't sound weird at all." He said. "It's far less frightening to know who you're up against than to be looking at every possibility. Plus, even if we can't confirm Mendez's involvement, at least you'll see the faces of those in his crew in case any of them approach you."

I nodded and Lester helped me to prop the bed into a sitting position, which didn't hurt nearly as bad as it did the first time. He then emptied the envelope out on the side of my bed and handed me the first photo. I looked at it intently. "This is Eduardo Mendez. His last known location was in Venezuela, but we think he might be here in Trenton because this man," He handed me another photo. "Is one of his known associates."

The second photo was of the man who attacked me in my hospital room. He clearly wasn't a doctor, and I wasn't at all disappointed to know that he wouldn't be able to help Mendez with any more of his sinister deeds. "This is the man who attacked me." I said. "But I don't recognize Mendez."

Lester nodded and we worked our way through the rest of the stack. I made sure to spend enough time with each picture so that I felt confident I would recognize the men if I saw any of them again. When we finished, I stacked them back up into a neat pile, putting Mendez's photo back on top. Looking at his picture again gave me the strangest feeling. I couldn't put my finger on it, exactly, but even though I didn't recognize him, something about his face seemed familiar. I tried to explain it to Lester. "Maybe it's the eyes." I said.

While Lester sat lost in his thoughts, the door to my room was opened and Ranger walked in. He saw the stack of photos and asked, "Any luck?"

Lester responded, "I was just trying to figure out who we could have doctor up the picture of Mendez. Beautiful said there was something about his eyes, but that he didn't look familiar. I thought if we added some facial hair or changed his appearance in some other way, then maybe she would positively identify him."

"That's a good idea." Ranger said. "Have Hector work on it. I'm sure he's got software that can do that." Lester nodded and picked up his phone as he headed out of the room.

"You look like you're feeling better." Ranger said.

"That's because I _am_ feeling better." I replied smiling. "I've got a tiny headache but otherwise I feel fine." I reached for his hand and pulled him down to the bed. He sat beside me with a puzzled expression, clearly trying to figure out what I was after. Instead of saying anything, I ran my fingers across his forehead, traced the circles under his eyes, and gently touched his lips. I cupped his cheek with my palm and he leaned into my hand and closed his eyes. My action was intended to bring comfort, but it felt like so much more. It was so intimate that my heart soared at the sensation.

Ranger slowly opened his eyes and they locked with mine. We looked into each other's eyes for a moment, before he leaned forward to place his lips upon mine. The kiss was soft and sweet, meant to reassure rather than to ravage. "I can't lose you." Ranger whispered. "It would kill me."

"I'm right here." I said. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

A/N

I hope you enjoyed this longer chapter. Things are starting to heat up...


	12. Chapter 12

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Some of you have some really great ideas as to who is behind the attacks on Steph, and I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we will find out a little more about that in the next few chapters. As always, thank you for the great reviews and wonderfully supportive feedback. You guys are awesome! Chica

* * *

For the next couple of hours, Ranger told me about my friends. He explained how many of them wanted to see me after I first woke up from the coma, but since I didn't remember anyone, he didn't want to overwhelm or frustrate me and slow my recovery. After I was attacked, the security was tightened further and they kept everyone away to better protect me.

I'm pretty sure he was expecting me to be upset that he'd kept my friends from me, but although I am curious as to who they are, I don't know them so I haven't missed their company. It seems to me that I've had plenty of companionship since Ranger has made sure someone was in my room with me since I returned to the hospital… and most of the time it has been Ranger himself keeping me company.

There was a knock on my door and without waiting for a response, Cal walked in carrying a small canvas bag. "Hey Cal!" I said excitedly. "It's about time you came to see me." I smiled at him as he walked over to the bed. He looked in Ranger's direction and visibly gulped. I can only guess as to the look that brought about that response.

"Well, Ranger asked Ella to send you over some breakfast," He began. "But I thought it'd be more fun if I cooked for you."

"Aww, thanks Cal." I replied. "That's so sweet! I'm really looking forward to trying your cooking, but I have to warn you, I'm not sure I could eat much right now."

"You don't have to eat anything you don't want to, Babe." Ranger interjected.

He sounded like a petulant child. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Ranger." I gave Cal a look that says, ' _he's being ridiculous, ignore him_.' Cal gave me a quick wink. "What did you bring me?" I asked.

"I figured you would want to avoid oatmeal," Cal began. Yeah, no kidding. "So I thought I would make something easy on your stomach." He pulled out a Tupperware container and set it on the table beside my bed. "I made you pancakes!"

"That sounds great." I said.

He set up the container on the table tray and wheeled it over my lap. The pancakes looked good and my mouth watered in anticipation. I poured on some maple syrup and took a bite. The flavor was amazing and I closed my eyes and moaned in appreciation. When I opened my eyes and looked at the boys, I could see that they were both grinning.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed. "This is _so_ good!" I started to work my way through the stack, but I wasn't even close to finishing it when I gave up. Pushing the plate away, I patted my stomach. "Thanks, Cal, I'm stuffed."

"Any time, Steph." He took my plate and packed it up into the bag he brought with him.

With a full belly, I could feel myself getting sleepy and my eyes started to droop. "I think I'm going to rest for a little while." I said. "Ranger, can you help me with the bed?" He popped up at the request and was quick to help me lower the head of my bed. I smiled at him. "Thanks."

Ranger leaned over and kissed my temple. "Have a nice rest, Babe. Hopefully you'll be ready to get out of here by the time you wake up."

* * *

I was sitting on the curb next to a brick apartment complex staring at the remains of my car. The fire department had put out the flames pretty quickly and what remained was now a smoldering mess. Joe was in the middle of a tirade about how I should quit my job and allow him to take care of me… I just couldn't listen to another rant about how I should be a stay-at-home mom and start popping out babies.

Standing up, I looked Joe in the eye and said, "Stop." He was immediately silent and stood there surprised at my reaction. So often he would yell, which would cause me to get mad and yell back, then we'd storm off in different directions and ignore each other for a little while before finally getting back together like nothing had ever happened. The truth was, I was done. I couldn't do this anymore and I knew that deep-down, Joe knew that it was never going to work between us.

"I don't want to do this anymore, Joe." I continued. "You and I both know that we're a terrible fit for a long-term relationship. We can't go a month without fighting and we want such fundamentally different things. I love you, but that isn't enough anymore. Go home. I'll be by to pick up my things and drop off my key while you're at work tomorrow."

"Come on, Cupcake," Joe started. "You're just upset." He ran his fingers through his hair and moved to stand right in front of me. "We can work it out." He whispered. Even as he said it, though, it was clear he was just going through the motions. We both knew it was over this time, and it was for good.

I gave him a hug and we just held each other for a few minutes. "Give yourself the opportunity to find what you're looking for. She's out there… she's just not me." I took a deep breath as I pulled away from him. "I want you to be happy, Joe."

"I want you to be happy, too." Joe replied. "Just do me a favor and give it a few days before you start something up with Mañoso. I don't think my ego could take it."

"I'm not getting together with Ranger, Joe." Joe looked at me skeptically. "Look, he's not the relationship type, and I'm not interested in casual sex." Understanding seemed to dawn on him. "I don't think I'll be looking for anyone to fill your shoes any time soon." I paused. "I won't stay single forever though, so don't be surprised if you see me on a date a few months from now."

Joe smiled and nodded before walking away. As he rejoined Carl and Big dog on the far side of the lot, I saw a familiar black car rounding the corner. "Hi Ranger." I said as he approached me on the sidewalk. "Can you give me a lift home?" He looked at me like he could read everything that had happened by looking in my eyes. He probably could, he is Batman, after all.

"Babe." He replied. Ranger placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me to his Porsche. As we were walking away, I noticed Ranger and Joe looking at one another. Joe must have that ESP thing, too, because I saw ranger nod slightly before helping me into my seat.

The drive back to my apartment was silent. When we reached my parking lot, Ranger managed to find a spot right outside the front door, as usual. After he turned off the ignition he looked at me and said, "Tell me about your skip." His question caught me by surprise and I had to think for a moment about who he was talking about before I could respond.

"Oh," I said. "His name is Brandon Avery. He's an unemployed nineteen year old who attempted to steal an ATM machine by hooking it up to the bumper of his pickup truck. When he drove off, rather than taking the ATM with him, his bumper was ripped off. Avery gets scared and takes off home. When the cops showed up, they ran the license plate that was still attached to the bumper and went to his house to arrest him.

"Apparently, his brother took offense to my taking him into custody, and retaliated by throwing a Molotov cocktail through my back window." I shook my head, I really liked that car. "At least I didn't lose my skip."

"What happened to the brother?" Ranger asked.

"He was arrested." I replied. "Turns out he wasn't too bright… must be a family trait. He stuck around to watch the fire, even after the cops showed up."

Ranger grinned.

* * *

Opening my eyes, I saw Ranger and Ram in the midst of a discussion. "There are only four Broncos registered in the greater Trenton area, two are light enough they could be considered tan, one is dark blue and the other is black. There are also an additional seventeen Broncos between New York and Baltimore." Ram said. "We're running a check on all the local ones now."

"Get some of the guys to help you if you don't have enough man-power to tackle the out of area ones. I don't want to waste time." Ranger said. "Also, run that list against any repair shops in the tristate area. He smashed into Stephanie's car, so it's possible his vehicle sustained front-end damage."

"Will do." Ram replied. He looked up to see me watching him and smiled at me. "Hey, Steph. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good." I replied.

"Good!" He said. "Well, I better get back to it. I'll see you later, OK?"

"Absolutely." I said. Ram smiled at me, nodded to ranger, and left the room.

Ranger sat down on the side of my bed and picked up my hand. He started absentmindedly rolling his thumb over the back of my hand and said, "How are you feeling, Babe?"

I grinned at him. "I remembered you." I said. "Well, I had a memory with you in it, anyway."

Ranger gave me a big grin in return. "Oh, yeah? What did you remember?"

"I remember sitting beside my car after it had been fire-bombed. Joe was yelling at me and we ended up breaking up. He seemed to think you and I were going to get together and he asked that I give his ego a brake and wait a few days." I tried to gauge Ranger's reaction but his face was blank of any expression. It seemed he only got his 'blank face' out when he didn't want me to know what he was thinking or feeling, and I was afraid I'd said something to upset him, but I wanted to see if he would open up to me. "Then you took me back to my apartment and I remember being surprised that you asked me about my skip, rather than about something more personal." I told him. He didn't say anything for a while and I was starting to get uncomfortable. I wanted to shake him out of his strange statue impersonation so I blurted out, "You have a beautiful Porsche!"

"Actually, Babe," He said, finally breaking into a small smile. "I have two."

"Is that right?" I replied, cheekily. "Perhaps you'll take me for a ride sometime."

"I'm sure I'd like that." Ranger said saucily.

Before the innuendo got too heavy, the door to my hospital room was once again opened. This time, Dr. Wesen entered. "Hello again, Stephanie." He said. "You know, if you missed my company you could have just visited me, you didn't need to get yourself admitted again." He smiled kindly at me.

"What can I say, Doc?" I replied. "I just love the ambiance."

Dr. Wesen smiled while he reviewed my chart. "It looks like the salicylate levels in your body are back into the normal range. Electrolytes and potassium is good. Magnesium is a little low, but nothing to be concerned about. I've already spoken with Mr. Brown and he's agreed to ensure you are properly hydrated and that you get all the rest you need. So, unless you'd rather spend a little more time with me, I'd say you're free to go."

"Great!" I exclaimed. I started to sit up and looked around for my clothes.

"Easy, Babe." Ranger chuckled. "Let me help you." He moved to the counter at the end of the room and opened a black duffel bag. Inside were another black Rangeman t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. He brought them over to help me get changed while Dr. Wesen excused himself and left the room. Bobby joined us a few minutes later and we were ready to head back to Rangeman.

I had the strangest sense of déjà vu. Then again, it was just yesterday that we did this, so I guess it's to be expected. I had my guards surrounding me on the way to the elevator again, only this time it was Hector and Hal who joined Ranger, Bobby and me.

When we got back to Rangeman, I asked to stop at the fifth floor to visit with the guys I'd gotten to know over the last couple of days. I enjoyed spending a few minutes visiting my new friends before following Ranger up to the seventh floor. After helping me settle in on the couch in the living room, Ranger grabbed a couple bottles of water and returned to sit with me.

"OK, Ranger." I said. "Tell me where you're at in the investigation so far."


	13. Chapter 13

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

You all are getting really good at looking for the hidden meanings behind Steph's recovered memories. I love reading your ideas and reviews. Thanks for sticking with me! This chapter has a lot going on, so I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Once Ranger and I settled in on the couch, he began to explain some of what Rangeman was doing in order to find the owner of the tan Bronco. Some of the details I had overheard when Ram was in my hospital room earlier today. So far there hadn't been any links between the vehicle owners and Ranger, Rangeman, or me.

While it was certainly possible that the Bronco in question had been stolen and was therefore untraceable, it was also equally possible that the man who chased me had done so for a reason completely unrelated to the attacks at the hospital. I didn't like either scenario, but I really didn't like the latter. The idea of a person trying to kill me was scary enough; the prospect of more than one person trying to kill me was outright terrifying.

"OK, let's change gears here for a moment." I said. "Did you figure out how someone was able to poison my oatmeal?"

Ranger shook his head slowly back and forth. "No." He said. "It seems unlikely that someone would be brazen enough to stir in the Aspirin while the food was in route to your room, so we're fairly certain they found a way into the kitchen without being seen. There are cameras in the corridors but not in the kitchen itself, and all the people coming into and out of the kitchen during that two hour window were cleared to be there."

"What about the Aspirin?" I asked. "It seems like a poison of convenience, like maybe it wasn't planned very far in advance. Did anyone check the pharmacy to see if anyone bought a bottle here in the hospital around the same time?"

"That's a good idea, Babe." Ranger replied. "I'll have Hector check the camera footage." He got up and grabbed his phone from the tray by the door and placed a quick text message. After a responding 'beep', he returned to the couch. "It shouldn't take long to get that footage. Hopefully we can get a look at them, maybe find out for sure who's behind this.

"You still think it's Mendez?" I asked.

"We have positively identified the man who attacked you as Javier Acosta, one of the men in Mendez's organization. It's not too big of a leap to suppose Mendez is the one behind the attack." Ranger said. "Especially since Acosta's last known location was with Mendez in Venezuela, and it would be beyond coincidental that he would arrive alone in the States, let alone here in Trenton."

"Have you figured out how Mendez could have learned of your involvement in the attack on his compound?" I asked.

Ranger ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "No, and that has me more worried than anything else." I wasn't sure how that could be the biggest concern. He must have seen the confusion in my face because Ranger continued with his explanation. "Our government contract work is performed with a need-to-know mentality. Which means that even people within the organization are ignorant of the details of each operation unless their input is specifically needed. Only those people with the appropriate clearance would have answers to the questions of who's involved, what their targets are, etc.

"What worries me is that the only way that my involvement could have been learned, would be that one of only a very few individuals would have leaked the information. The few individuals I have to trust implicitly with my life. If there is a leak, and one of the men I depend upon is unreliable, then I could be putting not only myself at risk, but my entire team."

"And you're certain the men in your team couldn't have shared information?" I asked softly.

"Those men are my family, Babe." He said. "We've lost members of that family during the years we've served together and have become that much closer because of our mutual loss. They are my brothers; they'd never sell me out."

"OK." I said. "How would you go about finding the leak if it is one of your government handlers?"

"I've already put in some calls." Ranger said. "I've been a leader in this business for a lot of years now, and I've got a few people who owe me. If there is anything to find out, they'll find it."

Ranger's phone beeped from the sideboard. He got up to answer it and returned a moment later to tell me that Hector had gotten the video feed for the hospital pharmacy.

"Hector can bring it up here on his laptop, but the picture quality will be better if he uses his equipment on the second floor." Ranger looked at me hesitantly. "Are you up to heading down there for a few minutes? We won't stay long, and I'll call Ella to have lunch ready for us when we get back. Then you can rest for a while."

I thought it over for a moment. "I think I can handle that." I gave him my best sexy-smile.

"You keep looking at me like that and we won't be leaving this apartment anytime soon." Ranger said.

My heart started to race and my breathing got shallow. I wasn't exactly seeing a down side here. I glanced towards the bedroom when I felt Ranger pull me to my feet. "Come on, Babe, Hector's waiting."

* * *

We got off the elevator on the second floor and Ranger guided me to a door at the end of the hallway. He pulled his key fob from his pocket to gain entrance and we walked through the door. I was amazed at all the technology that surrounded us on our way in. The walls on either side of the path to Hector's work station were filled with computers, TV monitors, digital cameras for both recording film and taking pictures, and a couple of towers of some sort of electronic boxes that were blinking in no recognizable pattern.

Hector sat behind a large workbench that resembled a folding table. Next to the soldering iron and screwdrivers, he had a variety of every-day items displayed on a piece of blue cloth. The pen, sunglasses, and keychain seemed pretty unisex, but the compact mirror, hair tie and lipstick were decidedly feminine, and didn't look at all like something Hector would use. I picked up the lipstick tube and pulled the top off. "It's not really your color, is it Hector?" I said, smiling at him.

"Angelita," _(Angel)_ Hector replied. "Estos son los suyos." _(These are yours)_

"Babe," Ranger said. "Hector got these for you."

I looked at the odd assortment of items with curiosity. "Um, thank you?"

"Estos son especiales." _(These are special)_ Hector replied. "Van a mantenerse a salvo. Cada uno tiene un dispositivo de seguimiento integrado. Si necesitamos, podemos encontrarte." _(They will keep you safe. Each have a built-in tracking device. If we need to, we can find you)_

Ranger translated for me and I looked at the items in front of me again with awe. I picked up the hair tie and couldn't see how anything could have been hidden on the thin piece of elastic. This was like some secret agent stuff. "This is amazing!" I turned to Hector and kissed his cheek, appreciating his thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Hector."

Hector grinned and led us to the wall behind his workbench where a large TV was hooked up to his computer. He clicked a few buttons on his keyboard and the screen was filled with some slightly grainy footage from what appeared to be the hospital pharmacy. We watched for a couple of minutes while a little old lady approached the pharmacist, a young woman browsed the collection of teddy bears and balloons, and a man with a cane picked up a bottle of cough syrup.

I looked back at Hector wondering if I had missed something. "Mirar a la isla de la izquierda." _(Look at the isle on the left)_ Hector pointed at the screen. Ranger didn't need to translate for me because just then a man approached the isle where Hector had been pointing. It wasn't a very good angle, we were looking mostly at his back, but I still stared at him intently. We watched as the man picked up a bottle of Aspirin from the shelf before he turned around. Hector paused the video and zoomed in on the man's face.

Little black dots began to cloud my vision and my breath caught in my throat. "Angelita?" Hector said. I felt myself being pushed back into a chair and my head was guided into my lap.

"Take deep breaths, Babe." Ranger said. "In through your nose… out through your mouth." After a few moments I lifted my head to see Ranger squatting in front of me with his hands on both my knees and a look of concern on his face.

"I recognized him, Ranger." I whispered. My hands were shaking so badly that I tried to hide them beneath my legs, but Ranger clasped them together and held them in his own. "He tried to kill me… He was shooting at me from the Bronco… He poisoned my food… He tried to kill me." The last words out of my mouth came out in a squeak. I was so scared I couldn't even think straight anymore.

Ranger pulled me to him and held me in his arms as I started to cry. He rubbed his hands across my back and spoke to me in soothing tones while I soaked his shirt with my sobbing. I realized that I hadn't understood anything he'd said to me, he must have been speaking Spanish. I didn't care what language he was speaking, though, his voice was smooth and brought me comfort. By the time I stopped crying I felt completely wiped out. Ranger must have sensed it because before I could even say anything, he'd picked me up and was carrying me back to the elevator.

When we got back to the apartment, Ranger brought me to the dining room and set me down at the table in the same seat I'd used the day before. "Are you hungry, Babe?" He asked me. I really hadn't thought about food at all, but when Ranger lifted the lid off the slow cooker, my mouth began to water in anticipation.

"I think so." I said quietly.

"Good," Ranger replied. "You don't want to miss out on Ella's Sopa de Pollo. It's a Cuban version of chicken soup that includes yucca and plantains. I think you'll like it."

He dished up two bowls and set them on the table before returning to the kitchen for spoons and bottled water. "You should try to filter your water so you don't need to waste so much money on bottled water." I said. "Plus, you'll be saving the planet." I smiled at him as I stirred my soup. It smelled heavenly.

"Maybe you can help me look into that, Babe." Ranger returned my smile. "Dig in before it gets cold."

I took a sip of the soup and was amazed by the flavor in the broth. It was spicy, but not excessively so, and the plantains added a nice textural element. I'd have to ask Ella for the recipe. As I neared the bottom of my bowl I began to feel full, so I slowed down. I didn't want to upset my stomach by eating too much so soon after putting it through the ringer.

Ranger stood up from the table and cleared our dishes. He came back to the dining room and asked me whether I was ready for a nap. I was certainly getting tired, but I was still scared. I know it wasn't rational… the guy who was trying to kill me couldn't get to me here… but I couldn't help the fear that enveloped me. "Will you stay with me, Ranger?"

"Sure, Babe." He replied. We walked to the bedroom where Ranger removed his weapons and his shoes before climbing into bed. He pushed himself to a semi-seated position against the headboard as I sat down on the side of the mattress. "Why don't you lean against me and get comfortable?" I nodded and curled up beside him with my head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I instantly felt safe and secure.

"Thank you, Ranger." I whispered.

"Anytime, Babe."


	14. Chapter 14

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter. I think this one may surprise some of you… and I hope you don't think Ranger's behavior is too out of character, but I felt this stayed true to how he would behave and what he would say given the circumstances. Please let me know if I hit the mark or not. Your reviews mean a lot to me. Thank you! Chica

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I was safe and warm. Ranger was rubbing small circles into my back and it felt _so_ nice. I opened my eyes and realized that at some point during our nap, I had crawled on top of Ranger and now found myself straddling one of his legs and resting my entire torso upon his. I lifted my head and was immensely relieved to find that I hadn't drooled all over his t-shirt. Locking my eyes with his, I smiled and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry." I attempted to remove my leg from between his and he locked me in place instead.

"I'm not." Ranger replied. He rolled us so that I was now on my back and both my legs were between his. His arms were still cradling me and I couldn't help but get excited about where this might be headed. I reached up to hold his face between my hands and gently pulled it down to mine. I stopped pulling, though he certainly wasn't resisting, when he was about an inch away from my face. My eyes were on his, issuing an unspoken invitation.

He closed the distance between us and placed a soft kiss on my lips. My tongue darted out and traced his lips, seeking entrance. He willingly obliged and our tongues began a slow and sensual dance of exploration. I looped my hands behind his head to hold him to me. He managed to keep his body weight off of me by balancing on his left forearm, leaving his right to rest on my hip. Things were heating up fast and my body was humming in anticipation. I was so completely lost in the moment, though, that when I heard Bobby's voice, I let out a little yelp.

Ranger growled and shouted, "Brown!" Ranger rolled off me and glared at Bobby. I was completely embarrassed and just sat there. I wasn't sure what I should do or if I should leave the room.

Bobby didn't look chastened for barging in on us, if anything he looked livid. "Jesus, Ranger!" He said. "She just got out of the hospital. She has injuries she's still recovering from… You could hurt her!"

Ranger looked shamed for a moment but quickly got on the defensive. "Don't you knock?"

"I did knock." He said. "But obviously you didn't hear me. I came to check on Bomber and make sure she wasn't overdoing anything."

I could feel the heat on my cheeks and knew it must be a very unattractive shade of red right now. I covered my face with my hands. Ranger turned to me and took my hands away from my face before lifting my chin so he could see my eyes. "I'm sorry, Babe." He whispered so only I could hear. "Bobby's right, I shouldn't have let things go so far."

"No, he's not right." I said indignantly. "I'm not in pain, just humiliation from having him walk in on us." I gave him a sexy smile, "I was enjoying myself." Ranger smiled at me in return and got off the bed.

"You want to come sit on the couch and relax for a while, Babe?" He asked.

"Actually," I said hesitantly. "I'd really like to take a shower, if that's OK?"

"Of course." Ranger replied. "Ella put some of your clothes in the closet, so you should be able to find something comfortable to wear. Let me get a towel for you." He walked into the bathroom and returned a moment later. "There is a fresh towel for you just outside the shower door. Do you need any help?"

I blushed. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"We'll just be in the living room." Ranger said. "Come join us when you are ready, OK?"

I nodded, got up, and headed to the closet to look for my clothes. When I opened the closet door, I was shocked. Three fourths of the closet was packed with predominantly black clothes that clearly belonged to Ranger. There were black cargo pants, black dress pants and suits, even black button-up shirts and tees. I was glad to find that he did own clothes in other colors, though the selection was limited.

Realization suddenly dawned on me. Oh. My. God! This is Ranger's apartment! I don't know why it didn't occur to me before, but I guess I just assumed it was an empty employee apartment. What does it mean that Ranger brought me here, to his home? Was it the only option for me? Was he looking for something more?

I'm not sure how long I was standing in the closet trying to sort out my feelings, but I suddenly heard Ranger as he walked around the corner. "Babe?" He asked. "I didn't hear the shower running, is everything OK?"

I wasn't sure what to say. "Huh?" I asked. Not exactly an example of my best conversational skills, but I was still a little shocked at my revelation.

"Stephanie, what is it?" Ranger asked. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me gently for a moment. "Do you need help? Should I get Bobby?"

"No," I replied. "I'm OK. It's just that I just realized that this is your apartment."

"Is that a problem?" He asked. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "Would you rather stay with someone else?"

"What? No!" I exclaimed. "I just thought this was an empty apartment. I didn't realize you were going to have me move in with you."

"Babe," Ranger started. "There aren't any empty apartments at the moment. But to be honest, even if there were, I would have moved you up here." I looked at him and waited, silently asking him to tell me why. "You needed to be monitored to make sure you didn't have any setbacks after leaving the hospital, and I couldn't bear to have you out of my sight."

I smiled at his heartfelt explanation. He was behaving so differently from even a few days ago when we first 'met'. At that time he didn't even want to acknowledge that I meant more to him than anyone else. He was certainly quick to point out that he wasn't relationship material when I asked if we were a couple. Is it possible that I succeeded in making him understand that the danger I find myself in, is in no way his fault? Could he have changed his mind about us? The make-out session on the bed would strongly support that argument.

I realized that I'd just been staring at Ranger's beautiful body for a few moments, with a silly smile on my face. "Sorry," I said. I just wanted to grab something to wear after my shower."

He pointed to the other side of the very large closet where some distinctly feminine clothes were hung. "Those are yours," Ranger said. "There are also clothes in the dresser in the corner. Ella cleared out the top two drawers for you."

"Thanks." I said. I started towards the other end of the closet to look at my clothing options. Ranger nodded and left to go back to the living room.

While the water for the shower was warming up, I took off my loose t-shirt and shorts and stood naked before the full-length mirror behind the door. The once black-and-blue bruises that had littered my body had been reduced to lighter shades of green and yellow. Those bruises that had already been in lighter shades, like my face, had all but disappeared. I was happy with the progress and started to feel a little less visibly damaged. Bobby wouldn't need to worry about me for much longer.

I got into the shower and let the hot water run over me while I considered everything I knew. My memories were coming back a little at a time, so I felt confident that I would remember everything at some point. In the meantime, I was feeling pretty good with how things were going. Granted, I had a death sentence hanging over my head, but when I wasn't thinking about that, I was enjoying the 'new' friends I had made… and I was really hoping to have something more substantial with Ranger. The man was not only incredibly hot, he was so devoted to taking care of me, protecting me, and seeing to my comforts, that it would be impossible not to feel something for him. I really hoped we could pick up where we left off once Bobby left.

I washed my hair with the shampoo I had found in the shower and was extra careful rinsing so I didn't lose my balance. Looking around for some soap, I found a bottle of body wash. When I squirted it into my palm, my senses went on overload. I knew that smell… it was Ranger. My mind flashed to a memory of Ranger telling me he was good in the shower. He was so gorgeous, especially when he was giving me that cocky grin. Then we were in another apartment, it must have been mine, and he was kissing me against the door. The memory was so strong that I pressed my fingers against my lips hoping to still feel his touch. Next we were under the sheets in my bed and he was worshiping my body, whispering words to me in Spanish. I didn't know the words, but they felt like they were words of love and devotion.

The memories faded as soon as they had arrived, but left me in quite a state. I rinsed off the body wash with a little more enthusiasm in some regions, and managed to release the tension that had been building since I woke up from my nap. Feeling clean and relaxed, I quickly dressed in a pair of blue lounge pants and another black t-shirt I snagged from Ranger's side of the closet before joining Ranger and Bobby in the living room.

The guys stopped talking the minute I walked into the room. Ranger stood up silently, smiled at me, and led me to join him on the couch. "Did you have a nice shower, Babe?" He asked. His eyes glinted at me like he knew what I was doing in there, but I'm sure he wouldn't have heard me.

"Fine, thanks." I mumbled. When I looked at Ranger again his cocky grin was back and I blushed and lowered my eyes.

Thankfully Bobby directed the conversation away from my shower and asked if I was suffering from any headaches or dizziness, or if the pain in my ribs was any worse than it had been previously. I told him that I felt fine, had no headaches or dizziness, and the pain in my ribs was really only noticeable when I had my hands above my head or if I went from laying down to sitting up too quickly. Bobby smiled and said that it sounded like I was healing the way I should, but he wanted to check my temperature and blood pressure before he left. I nodded and he brought his bag over and proceeded with the tests.

"Everything looks good, Bomber." Bobby said. "Remember to take it easy, OK? I don't want you re-injuring yourself and slowing your recovery." He looked pointedly at Ranger.

"I promise to take it easy, Bobby." I replied. "Thanks for checking up on me."

Ranger stood as Bobby gathered his bag and walked him to the door. When he returned and sat back down I stood up, walked over to him and sat down, straddling his legs. His hands instinctively moving to hold my waist. "Babe? What are you doing?" Ranger asked. He looked equal parts surprised and worried, and I could see Bobby's words had worked as intended and that Ranger was afraid of hurting me.

"What does _mi corazón_ mean?" I whispered into his ear and then nibbled his earlobe.

Ranger gently pushed me back and I could see that he was angry. I wasn't sure what I had done wrong. Why was he so mad? "Where did you hear that?" He accused.

"What?" I said, startled. "Why?"

"Who said that to you?" He said.

I was starting to get upset. Was it something bad? "Ranger, you said it." I responded quietly. "I remembered kissing you in my apartment, and you saying that you were good in the shower, and us making love in my bed. You were whispering to me in Spanish, and I heard you say _mi corazón_. Is it something bad, Ranger? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I thought you'd be excited."

I slid off Ranger's lap and scooted to the other side of the couch, tucked my legs underneath me, and pulled a pillow to my chest.

Ranger ran his hand down his face and the anger I had seen earlier had been replaced by regret and sadness. He turned his body so that he was facing my direction and reached for my hand. "I'm sorry, Babe." He said. "Of course I'm happy that you remembered more, and that it was time spent with me makes me ecstatic… I'm an idiot." He took a deep breath and sat up straighter before continuing. " _Mi corazón_ means, my heart. I was jealous because I thought someone else had said that to you."

"Why did you say that to me in Spanish in the first place?" I asked. "You had to know I wouldn't understand."

He looked at me a little bashfully, "That's exactly why I said it in Spanish." I looked at him in confusion. "I wasn't prepared to admit how I feel about you. I worried that just being with me would put you in jeopardy, and I couldn't, I wouldn't, do that to you. I thought that you deserved a life that I couldn't give you… a white picket fence, kids in the front yard, and family dinners on Sunday."

"Do you still feel that way?" I asked. I was terrified that he would answer 'yes', but I had to know what I was up against if that was the case.

"To a certain extent, yes." He began. My heart started to deflate but he continued. "Since you broke up with Morelli, we've had the opportunity to talk more. You said one of the reasons you broke up was that Joe wanted the 'Burg lifestyle… the house, kids, and stay-at-home mom, and that you didn't. No matter how much my heart soared when you told me that, I couldn't justify a risk to your life, just to satisfy my deepest desire."

"What if it was a risk I was willing to take?" I asked.

Ranger visibly shuddered and spoke so quietly that he was nearly whispering. "It was already too close a call. There have been way too many attempts that nearly succeeded. Do you understand how close I came to losing you?"

"But I'm here now." I said. "I'm safe here, in this building, with you."

"You'll never be safe with me." Ranger said sadly.

"It doesn't look like I'm terribly safe without you either." I replied. "We aren't even a couple and someone is out to get me!" I was getting a bit angry myself, now. "If you're going to suggest that we should keep our distance and just be friends, you might as well tell me that I should face the threat against me by myself." I rolled my eyes and gave him an incredulous look. After a moment where neither of us said anything I said, "You can't have it both ways, Ranger. Either you want me in your life, or you don't. If having me here is an imposition, you can have someone drop me off at my apartment and I'll get out of your hair."

I put down the pillow I'd been holding and stood up. Ranger grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me back down on the couch as he said, "No."

I looked at him in confusion. What exactly was he saying 'no' about? Did he not want to have someone give me a ride? Did he not want me to go it alone? "No What, Ranger?"

"No, I don't want you to face this alone." He said. "No, I don't want you to leave."

"What else?" I asked pointedly.

Ranger sighed. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "I want you with me."

"You want me to stay here, until we catch whoever is behind all this?" I asked.

"No." Ranger said again. "I want you to stay with me, always. I don't want to lose you."

I looked at him for a moment without saying anything. "Even if it puts me in jeopardy?" I said at last. "Will you push me away from you again?"

He shook his head back and forth. "Yesterday when your fever was so high and we knew you had been poisoned, I held you in my arms and thought you were going to die." His breath hitched and I could see that he was having a hard time keeping it together. "You asked me to look after Rex for you and called him your baby, you said he was your baby with me and that you wanted me to look after our baby. In that moment I realized that I wanted the possibility of a family with you. I prayed to God that he'd let me keep you, and I vowed that I would keep you safe."

I was openly crying now, but I was smiling, too. Here was this beautiful man admitting that he wanted me… that he prayed to God to keep me. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I was so happy. I reflected on when I first opened my eyes in the hospital and saw him sitting beside me, holding my hand. He'd never left me until he knew I was going to be OK. Then I remembered asking him about our relationship, and my smile faded. "Why did you say that you love me 'in your own way'?" I asked. "What does that mean, Ranger?"

Ranger ran his hand through his hair again. "Babe, I've said and done a lot of stupid things when it came to you, but I've only ever done what I thought was in your best interest." He said. "When you woke up from the coma and couldn't remember anything, as much as my heart hurt, I thought maybe it was how God was going to ensure that I protect you. If you didn't remember me, then I could make sure no one ever used you to hurt me again, by just disappearing from your life.

"When I left your hospital room that morning, I didn't plan on coming back." I was shocked and hurt by his honesty. "It wasn't until Acosta attacked you that I realized I couldn't leave you. It's the most selfish thing I've ever done, but I couldn't bear to be apart from you. If he had succeeded, a part of me would have died that day, and it would have all been for nothing. So, no, I won't push you away ever again. You're stuck with me for as long as you want me, and I understand that it might take time for us to get there as you get to know me again, but I love you, Babe, and I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."


	15. Chapter 15

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Thank you all for your amazing reviews! You inspire me :) Selene, thanks for the catch about the shower… I missed that section on a rewrite, and have since fixed it. Which reminds me, thanks also to the guest from chapter 10 who pointed out that the flu is viral, not bacterial… I fixed that section, too. IfOnlyBabe, you made me blush with all your 'gushing', thank you. I truly appreciate all the feedback and corrections as I hope it will make me a better writer. So, on with the chapter… Chica

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Ranger had declared his love for me and I couldn't have been happier. Well, maybe if I remembered falling in love with him myself… but I'm not complaining. Everything he has done since I woke up has been to ensure my comfort and safety. His devotion to me has been unwavering, and I love that. I also knew that my heart recognized this man, even if my mind didn't. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I felt so comfortable with him, right from the start… even when I didn't even know my own name, I knew I could count on him.

We had spent a few hours clearing the air between us after Bobby left and I was starting to get hungry. "Is there any more of that soup Ella made?" I asked. We had moved into a more comfortable position on the couch, with Ranger's legs down the length of the couch and his back against the arm rest. I sat between his legs with my body leaning against his.

"I'm sure there is, Babe." Ranger replied. "But I'd guess that Ella is planning on bringing up something else for dinner. I can certainly call her, though, if you don't want her to come up." His hands were drawing circles up and down my arms. "She's probably made dessert."

"I just don't want to put anyone to any extra trouble." I said. "I haven't been able to eat that much yet, so I'm sure we can find something in the fridge that will suit me."

Ranger wrapped his arms around me and gave a gentle squeeze. "It's no extra trouble for Ella to cook, it's part of her job. Although, she always takes such pleasure from cooking for you, that I don't think I could stop her from doing it if it wasn't part of her job." He kissed my temple and helped me to sit up before heading to the phone.

After talking with Ella, Ranger sat down beside me and said that she had been expecting his call and that she would have dinner up here in half an hour. I was excited to meet Ella, and I hoped this meal would be as delicious as her last. I wondered again if she'd be willing to share her recipes with me, but was deliberating on whether or not it would be rude to ask.

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Ranger asked.

I didn't realize that I had been concentrating that much, but thought getting Ranger's opinion might be a good idea. "I was just wondering whether or not Ella would think it rude if I asked her for some of her recipes. I don't want to offend her and thought that maybe she'd be worried that I'd want to take over her job or something."

Ranger actually laughed out loud. I wasn't sure what was so funny but I didn't like being laughed at. I glared at him and crossed my arms. When he stopped laughing and looked at me, his smile was quickly replaced with chagrin. "Sorry, Babe. I didn't mean to laugh at you," He said. "It's just that your cooking skills leave a lot to be desired."

"Really?" I asked. I was genuinely surprised. "Why?"

He considered it for a moment before replying, "Honestly, I think your mother sucked all the fun out of learning to cook and you just gave up. I don't doubt you have the ability to learn anything, Babe, I just don't think you've tried it on your own."

"Maybe I could ask Ella to show me how to make a few things?" I asked. "Do you think she'd mind?"

Ranger pulled me onto his lap and kissed my temple again. "I think Ella would be thrilled." He said. "She and Luis never had children of their own and I think that's one of the reasons she enjoys taking care of all of us so much. I bet she would love an opportunity to teach someone."

"OK," I said. "I'll ask her."

I excused myself to use the restroom and when I returned the stereo was playing a smooth guitar instrumental. Ranger walked up to me and reached out his hand, palm up. "May I have this dance?" He asked. I got butterflies in my stomach, but didn't hesitate giving him my hand. This was such a romantic gesture and when he pulled me close and rested our joined hands against his heart, I felt at home.

We hadn't been dancing long before we were interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. Ranger led me to a stool at the kitchen counter before answering the door and inviting Ella inside. She pushed a small cart that was loaded down with glass serving dishes and covered bowls. The minute the smell hit me, my mouth watered and I was excited to try something new.

Ella arrived in the kitchen and I was suddenly nervous. Did she know that I had amnesia, or would she talk about things I should know? She smiled at me and I hesitated. "Hi." I said.

"Oh, hello Dear," She said. "My name is Ella." She looked to be in her mid-sixties and had a short, trim figure. She had dark brown hair with a heavy dose of grey around the temples, a pair of kind eyes and a ready smile.

I was so relieved that I didn't have to explain everything to her and returned her smile enthusiastically. "Hi, Ella." I responded. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. Thank you for making dinner for us tonight, and the soup yesterday was amazing." I looked over to Ranger and he gave me a supportive nod. "I was just wondering," I said, blushing a little. "If you would be interested in showing me how to make some of your fantastic dishes?" I held my breath waiting for her response.

"I'd be delighted." Ella said. She gave me a big smile and then came closer so she could give me a light hug.

Ranger smiled at me as he passed by with a covered bowl that smelled like garlic. He set the table with our dinner and then the plates and flatware while Ella and I talked food. She suggested I focus on my recovery now and let her know when I was ready to take on a new challenge. She said she'd do the shopping and all I'd have to do is show up for my lessons. That's lessons with an 's' because we quickly determined that one class was not going to be sufficient to learning how to cook. I was really looking forward to hanging out with Ella; she was so easy to talk to!

As soon as the table was ready, Ella excused herself and wheeled her cart out the door. I sat down at the table where Ranger had pulled out a chair for me. He was so sweet! "Thank you." I said. He smiled back at me and took his own seat. We looked at the feast spread out before us. There is no way two people could eat all this. "Does she always cook so much?" I asked.

"When it's just me," He said. "She tends to stick to a lighter fare and only bring what I'll eat. When she knows you're going to be here, she goes a little overboard." He smirked at me. "She spoils you."

"Maybe she just appreciates being able to make a bigger production out of cooking." I said haughtily. "Besides, I'm sure I deserve to be spoiled." I looked at him from under raised eyebrows and threw a wink at him.

"No doubt about that, Babe." Ranger replied, chuckling. He went on to explain what was in each of the dishes in front of us. Ella had certainly done an amazing job. There was a pan of chicken enchiladas that were covered in cheese and red sauce. The side dishes consisted of Spanish rice, refried beans, and a terrific-looking grilled corn, poblano, and black bean salad. I couldn't wait to try everything.

We enjoyed our dinner and each other's company. We kept the conversation light and took the opportunity to get to know one another better. Rather, _I_ got to know _us_ better. Since I didn't know much about myself, he told me about us both. It was a bit surreal listening to someone tell you about the things you like to, or were in the habit of, doing. I got a kick out of some of the stories Ranger shared about the first few times we worked together and the scrapes I would get myself into. Other times I was absolutely disgusted with the nuisance I had made of myself to people I considered friends.

"Why would you continue to support me with your men and your vehicles when I would obviously benefit more from training?" I asked sincerely. "Cal mentioned that I was always resistant to training and fitness, but it seems like maybe falling flat on my face would have been a better teacher."

"It's difficult to see someone you love struggling." Ranger said. "My biggest fear was always for your safety. Working as a BEA put you contact with a large number of dangerous people and unfortunately you've been kidnapped, attacked, stalked, or in some other way threatened, on a semi-regular basis. Though you get lucky a lot, you seemed to have an unnatural lack of self-preservation skills, and until you were ready and willing to improve those skills, I didn't want to risk losing you."

"Wow!" I exclaimed. "If I'm being honest, I can't believe I didn't quit that job. It sounds like an absolute nightmare. Who would want to have to face being kidnapped or attacked or getting a stalker on any basis, let alone semi-regularly?" I shook my head back and forth. "I can't imagine doing that again. There must be other jobs I'm qualified for, right?"

"Of course, Babe." Ranger replied. "You do an excellent job performing computer searches for Rangeman. You seem to have a knack for digging up the hidden details on current skips, potential customers, and new employees. Tank has also been hounding me for years to find someone to take over as the main contact for customer relations. I think you would be perfect for that job."

"Thank you." I said. "Why would Tank want someone new for customer relations? Is the current person not doing a very good job?"

"You may find it hard to believe, Babe," He began. "But some people find a bunch of black-clad ex-military types to be intimidating." I chuckled a little. "We don't have anyone permanently assigned to that role; it's usually me, tank, or whomever else from the core team that is available. If we want to continue to grow as a company, we need not only someone that can take over as the primary customer contact, but also someone who can relate to people. Stephanie, that's you to a T."

"Well, I guess it's good that I have options." I started. "Please don't think I was dropping hints or trying to guilt you into offering me a job. I'm sure I could find employment outside of Rangeman once I'm able to work again."

"Trust me, Babe." Ranger said. "The advantage would certainly be on our end, and when you're ready for work, I hope you'll give becoming an official member of the team some real thought. Most of the guys around here look at you that way already, but it would be nice for it to be official."

"You're sweet." I said, smiling. "Thank you, Ranger."

We finished our dinner and cleaned up the dishes. I had been able to sample everything, but still didn't have much of an appetite. Ranger seemed really weirded-out that I declined to eat any dessert. Ella had made flan, and although I'm sure it is delicious, I was just too full for anything else. After the kitchen counters were wiped up and the dishwasher was loaded, we retired to the couch.

"So have you guys figured out who the man from the pharmacy is yet?" I asked. I tried to sound casual, but Ranger must have been able to see the tension in my body. I didn't want him to stop telling me about what was happening because he feared my reaction, so it was important to me that he saw me as someone who could handle it.

He seemed to consider his response for a minute. "No, Steph, I'm sorry." He said. "Hector and Zip have been working on it since we saw the footage. He hasn't been flagged by any of the facial recognition software that Hector recently installed. He was, however, able to mock up some alternative looks for Mendez. We can head downstairs tomorrow to look at them."

"Sure, OK." I replied. "At least we know what the pharmacy guy looks like so I can be on the lookout for him."

"Babe," Ranger said. "I don't want you to leave the apartment until I know you're not in danger anymore. Please, stay here with me. Let us protect you."

He was practically pleading with me. Looking at the sincerity in his eyes, I couldn't help but try to soothe his worries. "I'll stay here, Ranger." I said. "I don't have anywhere else I need to be… at least I don't think so." I started thinking about what my day-to-day life was like. "Wait… Ranger, don't I have any responsibilities? Bills I need to pay? Commitments I need to attend? What am I supposed to do? I don't even know where I live, let alone anything that I should be taking care of now."

Ranger grabbed both my hands and held them between his. "Babe, everything is being taken care of. I don't want you to focus on anything but getting better."

A sense of relief flooded my veins. He really is amazing to me, I'm so lucky he's looking out for me. "But you'll still keep me involved on the investigation, right? You won't keep anything from me?" I asked him.

"I'm certainly not going to hide anything from you, Babe." He replied. "I promise to keep you in the loop. In fact, I should tell you, that Bobby was here earlier for two reasons. One, to check in on you, and two, to let me know what was in the syringe Acosta tried to shoot you with."

"OK," I said. My heart started beating faster. "I'm all ears. What was it?"

"It was a simple drain cleaner, like Drano." Ranger said simply. "It doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. Mendez has access to much stronger drugs. I just would have expected him to use something he was more familiar with."

"Hmm. Maybe it was something Acosta was more familiar with?" I suggested. Ranger looked at me while he thought it over. "Well, think about it, Pharmacy Guy went for Aspirin… another common household item. Maybe neither of them is working for Mendez. Maybe Acosta split from him and is like a hired assassin or something? Or maybe he just told them to figure it out for themselves?"

"I don't know, Babe. Anything's possible." He said. Ranger got up from the couch and pulled me up with him. "It's getting late. Let's get ready for bed. You still need to get plenty of rest."

"Yeah," I said. "I am getting tired." Suddenly the sleeping arrangements came to mind. "Ranger? Where am I going to sleep?"

"Stephanie, look at me." He looked me in the eyes and I could feel the seriousness of what he was about to say. "I have a king-sized bed that you and I have shared many times before – platonically. We can do that again, but if you are uncomfortable even a little, I'll happily sleep on the couch. Whatever you want, OK?"

"OK." I replied. "I'm sure we can handle sleeping in the same bed without mauling each other." I offered a slightly uncomfortable chuckle and smiled at him.

"Are you sure, Babe?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, Ranger." We left the living room and headed towards the bedroom. When we passed the kitchen I noticed the empty counter and had a thought. "Ranger, can we bring Rex up here tomorrow?"

"Sure, Babe." He said. "The guys will miss having him in the break room, but he belongs on the kitchen counter, doesn't he?" He smiled at me sweetly.

I thanked him and went into the closet to change into another one of Ranger's t-shirts so I could sleep comfortably. Ranger helped me get into bed and made sure I had everything I needed before heading to the closet for his bed clothes. When he returned he was wearing only a pair of black silk boxers. Oh. My. God. This man was beyond gorgeous. I was staring at his phenomenal body and I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open.

"See something you like?" He teased.

I just nodded and forced myself to turn away while he got the lights. Ranger crawled into bed and asked quietly, "Can I hold you, Babe?"

"I'd like that." I whispered back. Ranger snuggled up to my back and tucked me against me. It was immediately comforting and felt right. "Goodnight, Ranger."

"Night, Babe." He whispered back. He kissed my head and I drifted to sleep listening to his steady heartbeat.

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A/N

I know there weren't any major events in this chapter, but I hope there was enough conversation to keep things interesting. The next chapter will start to get more into the 'death threat' against Steph. Thanks for sticking with me! Chica


	16. Chapter 16

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

OK, so this chapter is way shorter than I wanted to write, but unfortunately I ran out of time to write everything I wanted. Hopefully this whets your appetites for the next chapter. I promise we'll get to the good stuff in the next chapter. Stay tuned, and thanks for sticking with me. Chica

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The morning sun was streaming in the bedroom windows when I opened my eyes. I rolled onto my back and saw that I was in bed alone. According to the bedside clock it was 6:30 so Ranger must be a really early riser. Mother Nature decided it was time for me to get up, so I sat up slowly and made my way to the bathroom. After I finished my business, I brushed my teeth and decided a shower was in order. I went into the closet and found a pair of black leggings and a dark blue sweater-dress that I thought would be both cute and comfortable. The dresser drawer held a bra and panty set that was the same color blue as my dress, so I grabbed that, too. When I had my clothes for the day picked out, I made my way back to the shower and fired it up.

I took a couple of minutes to enjoy the feel of the warm water hitting my face. Afterwards, I made quick work with the soap and shampoo and then shut off the water. Before I had an opportunity to step out of the shower, a folded towel appeared above the curtain. Startled, I let out a small shriek. "Sorry, Babe." Ranger replied. He had a smile in his voice. "Just thought I'd hand you a towel before you came out naked and surprised us both."

I grabbed the towel, dried off behind the curtain, and then wrapped it around myself. "Thanks." I said as I stepped out of the shower. Ranger was leaning against the door frame looking at me like I was lunch. He was wearing a pair of red and white basketball shorts and a white tank top. I have to say, he looks good in colors that aren't black, too. He had obviously been sweating because his skin was glistening and he looked absolutely yummy. "I thought you had gone to work." I said.

"Nope," Ranger replied. "Got up at five to hit the gym. I had to work off dinner." He gave me a leer before reaching around me to turn the shower back on. His close proximity and gorgeous body was short-circuiting my brain. Man, he was hot! I locked eyes with him and licked my lips. I could read the lust in his eyes and I have no doubt they mirrored the look in mine. "Playing with fire, Babe." He said huskily. I nodded and forced myself to break eye contact so I could walk away without pouncing on him. I shook my head to clear it and took my clothes to the bedroom to get dressed while Ranger showered.

I made my way to the kitchen and was trying to figure out how to start the coffee maker when Ranger stepped in. He smelled amazing and looked good, as always. He was dressed in a black, skin-tight t-shirt, black cargo pants and black combat boots. His utility belt was loaded down with his gun, extra magazines, and a pair of handcuffs. At least he never has to worry about his belt matching his shoes… "How are you feeling today?" Ranger asked. I told him that I felt great, was well-rested and ready to find the bad guys.

Ranger suggested that we head downstairs for coffee and breakfast in the break room. We could say hello to a few of the guys and see how Rex was doing. I quickly agreed and we left the apartment and headed to the elevator. As we stood in the elevator waiting for the door to open on the fifth floor, Ranger told me that there was going to be a meeting in the conference room with the core team at 8:00 and that I should sit in if I was feeling up to it. We'd be discussing my attackers and where we were in the investigation. I wasn't sure who the core team consisted of, but I felt pretty sure I would recognize at least a few faces so it wouldn't be so scary. I agreed to be there and we exited the elevator.

I immediately saw Rex's cage sitting prominently on the counter when we walked into the break room, so I ran over to say 'hello'. There were trays of muffins, bagels and fruit on the other side of the counter so I grabbed a grape for Rex and dropped it in his cage. His little whiskers twitched as if to say, 'thanks'. Then he stuffed the whole grape in his cheek and went back into his soup can… I guess our conversation was over.

There were a few cups sitting next to an industrial-sized coffee urn, so I filled two and turned to look for Ranger. I spotted him talking with one of the Rangemen I hadn't seen before. He was huge! His bald head stood a good six inches over Ranger and his dark skin was nearly the same shade as the clothing he wore. All of the guys around here had muscles, but this man's shoulders were so wide that he made them seem small. It dawned on me that this must be Tank. Both Ranger and Cal had described him as a man whose nickname was an appropriate moniker.

As I approached the men, I could see that they were discussing something seriously and were keeping their voices down. I stopped a few feet away so as not to intrude on their conversations. They both seemed to notice me at the same time and simultaneously stopped talking and looked at me. I smiled and took another couple of steps forward before handing one of the cups to Ranger. "Tank," I said. "Did you want some coffee? I can grab another."

"Do you remember me, Little Girl?" Tank asked. His eyes looked so hopeful that I was sad to have to disappoint him.

"I'm sorry," I replied. "No. I just recognized you from how the guys described you."

"That's OK." He said. "We're all just glad you're still with us." He smiled at me sweetly, and then gave Ranger a look that asked an unspoken question.

"We'll discuss it." Ranger said to Tank, quietly. "Give him a burner and I'll call him after the meeting." Tank nodded and walked out of the room.

"Thanks for the coffee, Babe." Ranger said. "What are you hungry for this morning? You probably saw the muffins, bagels, and fruit, but we also have oatmeal in the slow cooker and yogurt in the fridge. Does anything sound good?" He put his hand on the small of my back and led me back towards the countertop and handed me a small plate.

"Maybe a muffin or some fruit." I said. "I'm not terribly hungry."

"How about you take both, and eat what you can?" He picked up a bagel for himself and threw it into the waiting toaster. I smiled at him as he waited for his bagel and put a scoop of cut fruit onto my plate. I sifted through the muffins and couldn't really tell what they were made with, so I just grabbed one and hoped for the best.

I placed my plate and coffee cup at an empty table while Ranger waited for his bagel. Before I had a chance to sit down, I heard someone shouting, "Beautiful!" Turning around, I see a very happy-looking Lester heading my direction. He stopped a foot in front of me and pulled out my chair. "Let me get that for you." He said. He moved around to the other side of the table after I had taken my seat and asked me how I was feeling.

"I'm doing pretty well, thank you." I replied. "How are you doing, Lester?"

"Now that you're here, I'm doing great!" He said with a wink. Good grief, is he always so over-the-top with the flirting?

I just shook my head. "Does that line ever work for you?" I asked.

I heard a laugh over my shoulder as Ram and Cal approached the table beside Ranger. "Don't mind him, Steph." Ram said. "He's an idiot." Ram elbowed him in the ribs and Cal laughed out loud. Ranger grinned and sat down beside me.

"Santos," Ranger said. "Don't you have some reports to prepare for the meeting at 0800?"

"Yeah, yeah," He replied. "You guys are a riot. I'm going, I just wanted to say 'hello' to Beautiful." He walks over, kneels down beside me and takes my hand. "Really, Beautiful, it's great to see you." He stood up, kissed my cheek, and walked out of the break room. I felt a little bad, wondering if we'd hurt his feelings and looked at Ranger. He must have ESP because he told me that Lester was fine. I nodded.

Cal and Ram grabbed breakfast and joined us at the table. We spent the next fifteen minutes visiting and joking around. The guys were telling stories about some of their more interesting security calls and skips. They had to explain to me that skips were people that 'skipped' out on their bail by failing to appear on their assigned court dates. These people were also known as FTA's for failure to appear. I was fascinated by things they had encountered while trying to take people to jail. I could certainly see why I found the work exciting, but I just couldn't imagine dealing with the risk inherent in that type of work. I mean, you just don't know who you're going to come across or what they're capable of.

We finished breakfast and Ranger said we had a few minutes before the meeting, so we were going to his office so he could catch up on a few emails. I sat on the couch in his office and rested my head against the back and closed my eyes. Apparently, I was still a little tired and fell asleep because I woke to a handsome man kissing my eyelids. "It's time for our meeting, Babe. Do you still want to come along, or do you want to rest some more upstairs?"

I sat up. "I'm fine. I definitely want to be there to hear what's going on. I mean it's my life, right? I should know what's going on." I said. He took my hand and helped me up and we made our way to the conference room.


	17. Chapter 17

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

This chapter is doing a little more explanation and setting the stage for future chapters. I hope you all like it. Thank you all for your kind words and excited reviews. You guys are great! Chica

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I walked into the conference room just ahead of Ranger. I wasn't sure what to expect when I entered, but I was reassured by the smiling faces that greeted me and by the warmth of Ranger's hand against the small of my back. Once I quickly glanced around the room, I was led to a seat on the right side of the table. The position was identical to the way Ranger and I sat at dinner, with him at the head of the table and me to his right.

There were a total of ten people already in the conference room when Ranger and I arrived. Ranger had told me that this meeting was to discuss the men who attacked me and the current threat against my life. Looking around the room, I was a little overwhelmed at the amount of people that seemed to care about what happened to me. Of the men we joined in the room, I recognized Cal, Bobby, Hector, Hal, Tank, Ram and Lester. The other men were not dressed in the standard Rangeman black, so I assumed they were not on Ranger's staff. At a second glance, I realized one of the men dressed in 'civilian' clothing, was Joe. I was surprised for a moment at his being here, but then I remembered that he was a police officer. I had no idea who the other men were.

"Thank you all for coming." Ranger said to the group. "I think most of you know one another, but for Stephanie's sake, let's do some quick introductions." He was met with a sea of nodding heads. "Babe, you've met my core team over the past couple of days. From my left are: Tank, Bobby, Lester, and Hector. On your right are: Cal, Ram, and Hal. I'm sure you also recognize Joe Morelli of the Trenton Police Department." He looked to me for confirmation. I nodded my head and smiled at Joe. "The two men with him are also officers with the TPD; Eddie Gazzara and Carl Costanza." Ranger indicated the two men I didn't know. The first man, Eddie, was neither tall nor especially fit-looking. He had thin, dirty-brown hair that was too long over his ears and the beginnings of a potbelly. He looked at me with a sadness I couldn't explain. The second man, Carl, seemed to be as tall as Joe, and was definitely on the heavy side. His light hair was cut short and was balding on top. He smiled at me and inclined his head in greeting.

"Babe," Ranger continued. "I've asked for the TPD's involvement with your case. Now that we have a suspect in both the attack that led you to the hospital, and your poisoning while in the hospital, the TPD has pledged their resources to help us track him down." He nodded his head to Lester and sat down.

Lester stood and said something to Hector in Spanish. Hector used a remote to turn on the large flat-panel television on the far wall and then began typing on his laptop. A moment later we were staring at the still-image of the man who attacked me. I got chills when I saw him and started shaking in my chair, so I wrapped my arms around myself. It seemed like all eyes were on me so I tried not to let the fear I was feeling show on my face. I must not have succeeded very well because both Cal and Ranger reached to comfort me.

I shied away from them both, determined I could handle this. "I'm fine." I said firmly. I looked at the men on either side of me. "Really, I'm OK. Thanks." They seemed to accept my response and Lester continued his report.

"Unfortunately," Lester said. "We don't yet know the name of the suspect, nor his reason for targeting Steph in the first place."

"How do you know this is the man that attacked her?" Joe asked.

"That's him." I said quietly.

"Where did this picture come from?" Carl asked.

"Once we determined that Aspirin was used to poison Stephanie's oatmeal, Stephanie suggested we look through the hospital pharmacy's video footage to see if anyone was seen buying any Aspirin just before her breakfast was brought to her room." Ranger said. "Hector was able to find this man," He pointed at the screen. "In the pharmacy during that time range." Hector removed the still-photo from the screen and replaced it with the video. He began playing where the old woman was approaching the pharmacist, just like he had for me. "When Hector played this video for Stephanie and me, she was able to positively identify him as the man who shot at her."

"What else do we know about this man?" Eddie chimed in.

Lester took over the conversation and continued on with his report. "Steph remembers this man as the one who forced her into the Delaware. He initially chased her on foot, and when Steph reached her car and drove away, he followed her in a tan-colored Bronco. He shot at her during his pursuit and rammed the back of her car, which ultimately forced her into the river."

Hector pulled up a list of VIN numbers from the DMV's database. "There are twenty-one Broncos in the tristate area." Lester said. "Seven of those are light in color. We pulled up records for the registered owners of those seven, which included known associates and found absolutely nothing. We looked for stolen vehicle reports for the entire country, but struck out again."

"Pero Angelita sabia que era tan." _(But Angel knew it was tan)_ Hector said. Most of the guys seemed to understand what he had said, but there were enough blank faces that Lester translated.

"Hector insisted that Steph would not have called it a tan Bronco if it wasn't; so he eliminated the Broncos that were white, grey, or light blue. That left us four tan-colored Broncos out of our initial twenty-one, and only one in the Trenton area." Lester continued. "There is a 1996 Ford Bronco in _Pawnee Tan_ that was registered to a man named Arnold Tucker from nearby Lawrence Township. Hector and I paid him a little visit last night. When he didn't answer the door, we learned from his next door neighbor that Tucker was out of the country on business until the middle of next month. While we were there, we checked the garage and found his Bronco, which had some small scratches along its front bumper. Paint samples taken from his bumper were a match for Steph's vehicle."

I was so disappointed. When they first started talking, Lester was excited and I thought that meant that Arnold Tucker was our man. Now it looked like someone just took advantage of his being out of town to steal his car. "How does that possibly help us?" I asked, dejectedly. "Anyone could have taken his vehicle."

"No cualquiera, Angelita." _(Not just anyone, Angel_ ) Hector said.

"Hector's right, Beautiful." Lester said. "Not just anyone would know that Tucker was out of the country. Besides that, the thief returned the Bronco after you went in the river. He clearly didn't want to draw attention to Tucker's house."

"So you're thinking that it might be one of his neighbors?" I asked.

"It could be, Little Girl." Tank said. "But it could also be someone who just doesn't want to be linked to Tucker. Someone he works with maybe, or even someone at the Post Office who processed his request for his mail to be held until his return. There are a lot of possibilities, but there are not so many that we can't track them all down."

"This is where the TPD can be a big help for us." Ranger said, looking at Joe, Carl, and Eddie. "We need to find out who would know about Tucker being out of town. Take our suspect's picture and see who remembers seeing him and what his connection to Tucker is. If we find out how they know each other, we might be able to figure out a location on him."

"I understand you were able to ID the man who attacked Steph in her hospital room." Joe said. "Have you found a connection to either him or the unknown suspect?"

I wasn't sure how Ranger would respond. We did know of a connection, but Ranger wasn't able to talk about his government work, so what would he say? I didn't want to get him in trouble, but I really thought Joe would be able to help.

"The man's name is Javier Acosta." Ranger said. "He has drug connections in South America, but we haven't determined a reason for his being state-side yet, let alone in New Jersey."

"Who are his known associates?" Carl asked.

Ranger ran his hand down his face and shared a look with Tank. Tank pulled three pieces of paper out of a folder in front of him and passed them out to the policemen. "This is a standard non-disclosure agreement." Tank said. "Anything you hear while in this building is considered confidential, and in this case, classified by the US Government. We cannot discuss anything further with you until you agree to keep the information you are about to hear to yourselves. That means, no talking with the boys back at the cop shop, no pillow-talk with your girl, nothing. Are you able to do that?" Tank held out a pen to Eddie.

Eddie looked Ranger in the eyes, and then he glanced at me before taking the pen from Tank and signing the form. He passed the pen to Carl. Carl signed and passed the pen to Joe. Joe looked furious. "You son of a bitch!" He said. "This is all because of you, isn't it?" He pushed away from the conference table and stood up quickly, knocking his chair to the floor in the process. He ran his hand through his hair and began to pace back and forth. "I always knew you were going to get her killed." He turned away from Ranger and looked at me. "Jesus, Cupcake, did he even tell you it was his fault that someone is trying to kill you?"

All at once, the calm that had been created when I sat down was replaced with chaos and accusation. The Rangemen were eager to defend Ranger and tried to force some distance between Ranger and Joe. Since Joe was on the other side of the table from us, I'm not sure what they were worried about. Carl and Eddie stood up to protect Joe from the approaching wall of black, and soon I was the only one still in my chair. I couldn't take it! How were we going to work together to get the bad guy if we can't even talk like adults? I looked at Joe, whose arms were waving as he continued yelling at Ranger, and something in me just snapped.

"Enough!" I stood up and yelled. The whole room got quiet. "Joe, this isn't about you. These men don't deserve your criticism. They are good men, who have supported me and protected me unconditionally. Never once did they throw around ultimatums that revolve around me quitting my job or having your babies." I'm not sure where that came from. I realized that I must have had this argument with Joe before. I certainly wasn't interested in my former job now, and since we had broken up, Joe and I definitely weren't going to be having any babies. That was weird. Apparently, everyone else thought so, too because they were staring at me now.

"Cupcake?" Joe asked.

"Yes? I mean, no." I stumbled over what I was trying to say. "Sorry, I just meant that I'm still me, without the memory, I just remembered the argument. Guess we did that a lot, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess we did." He replied. "I'm sorry, Cu…Stephanie." He ran his hand through his hair again.

My head was beginning to hurt so I pinched the bridge of my nose. I guess nothing goes without notice around these guys. At the same time I heard, "Bomber?" and "Steph?" from Cal and Joe, I heard Ranger's voice demanding Bobby.

"I'm fine, guys." I said quickly. I put my hands up when Bobby came rushing over. "It's nothing. Honestly, I'm fine! Can we just sit down now and talk about how we're going to get this guy?" I asked. Joe looked sheepish and returned his chair to the upright position before taking his seat.

"Babe, just let Bobby check you out." Ranger said quietly.

"There's nothing to check out, Ranger. I'm fine." I repeated. "Let's just finish this meeting, OK?"

Reluctantly, Ranger nodded his head and took his seat. The rest of the guys had taken their seats, so I reached over and picked up the pen that was still on the table in front of Carl and offered it to Joe. He hesitated only a moment before taking it from my hands and signing the form in front of him. When he was finished, Tank retrieved the forms and put them back into his folder and gave Ranger a nod.

"Six months ago the government sent me and my team to disable an emerging leader in the drug trade in Venezuela. He had begun branching out into trafficking people in addition to drugs and the local government wanted to take him out. For whatever reason, our government was more interested in immobilizing the threat, so that was what we did." Ranger paused to look at Joe. "Our identities were never compromised, so it's unlikely that he was able to trace me to Trenton."

"And this is the guy who's after Steph?" Eddie asked.

"No, the leader of the organization is a man named Eduardo Mendez." Ranger said. "Javier Acosta, the man who attacked Stephanie in her hospital room, worked for Mendez. We have no reason to believe that Mendez is after Stephanie, other than Acosta's involvement. To the best of my knowledge, Mendez and the rest of his crew are still in Venezuela."

Lester continued where Ranger left off. "We haven't yet found any connection between Acosta and the man who stole the Bronco, but we're still looking."

"Has anyone looked into the skips I was trying to capture two weeks ago?" I asked. "Or even if there were any that had recently gotten out of jail and might hold a grudge against me for putting them back there? It certainly seems just as likely that I came into contact with someone who didn't want to go back to jail, as it does that someone came all the way from Venezuela for retaliation against someone they don't know."

I looked around the room to see that everyone had blank expressions on their faces. I didn't know if I'd said something really dumb or brilliant, so I just waited for some kind of response. Hal was the first to reply. "Bomber, one of the first things we did was to check your outstanding skips. You had only three outstanding and they were all low-level, first offenders." Hal said. "We also checked to see if any of your more hostile skips had recently been released from jail. None of your skips, hostile or otherwise, has recently been released from jail."

"OK," I said. "What do we do now?"

"You stay here where we can protect you." Ranger said. "And we find the man who attacked you, and put a stop to him." Joe looked at Ranger and for a moment I thought he would argue with the way Ranger said they would take care of the problem, like they were going to kill him. They seemed to have an unspoken agreement, though, and it reminded me of the way they looked at each other the night my car blew up. I'd have to ask Ranger what they were saying to one another, later on.

Ranger stood up and the other men followed suit. "Please call us if you get a line on anything." Ranger said, shaking hands with the Trenton Police. They all agreed that they would and walked out of the conference room. "Babe, I need to talk to you for a minute. Will you stay?"

"Sure," I responded. The room emptied out until it was just the two of us. I remained in my chair and waited for Ranger to approach. He sat in the chair next to me and reached for my hands.

"Babe," He said. "Are you sure you're feeling OK?" I said that I was and asked what he wanted to talk about. "Earlier this morning, your father and grandmother were in the lobby asking for you."

"Really?" I asked. "What did they want? Were they here to ridicule me like my so-called mother?"

"No." Ranger replied. "They were worried about you and wanted you to know that they wanted to be a part of your life, even if that doesn't include Helen."

"OK," I said. "What should I do?" I couldn't remember these people, but if they are my family they are probably missing me and worried about me… unless they are like my mother, she's a piece of work!

Ranger told me that if I wanted to see them, we could call them and arrange a time for them to come here where it was secure. He said that he had told Tank to give Frank a disposable cell phone, so that he could be contacted directly without risk of Helen answering a call. My headache was getting worse but I refrained from touching my head or making any gestures that Ranger would see.

He said what I did was entirely up to me, and he would support me in anything I chose. I thought it would be worth a shot to see them, especially if they came all the way to see me away from my mother. Ranger said he would give my father a call and arrange a time. I nodded. "How about you head upstairs for a little rest before lunch?" Ranger asked.

"Yeah, OK." I said. "I am getting a little headache, so lying down would probably help."

"Come on." Ranger agreed. He pulled me up from my chair and we headed to the door. Suddenly the throbbing in my head turned into pounding and I got light headed. I knew I was going to pass out and tried to get Ranger's attention before I did. I don't know if I was successful or not before the world tilted and I lost consciousness.


	18. Chapter 18

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

OK, it's late and I want to get this chapter posted so that I can get another one out later today. My eye are having a hard time staying open to proof read this chapter before it gets posted, so I'm hoping there aren't any glaring errors. I apologize ahead of time if there are. Thanks for all the positive feedback! It is such a pleasure to see my messages as I get geared up to write the next part of this story. You guys are awesome! Chica

* * *

"Babe?"

"Come on Bomber, open those beautiful eyes for me."

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, taking in my surroundings. It took a moment for me to remember passing out in the conference room but as soon as I did my current position made much more sense. I was lying on a black leather couch in what looked to be someone's private office. Bobby was sitting on the coffee table across from me, holding a blood pressure cuff and pen light. Next to Bobby sat a very worried-looking Ranger. My head was still hurting, but the pounding had lessened. I tried to sit up and felt a pair of hands gently pushing on my shoulders before I made much progress.

"Not yet, Babe." Ranger said. He lightly rubbed my shoulders as I lay back down on the couch. "Let Bobby check you out first."

"OK." I said quietly.

"Does your head still hurt?" Bobby asked. He was in full medic-mode now.

"Yes, but it's not as bad as it was." I replied.

"When was it the worst?" He asked.

"Just after I stood up to leave with Ranger." I said. "It was getting a little worse as the meeting went on, but it was manageable until I stood up. Then the pounding got to be too much and I guess I just passed out."

Bobby nodded and told me he was going to look into my eyes. He brought over the pen light and shined it into my eyes. Wow, that hurts just as bad today as it did when Dr. Wesen did it in the hospital. Luckily, Bobby didn't torture me for long. "Sorry, Bomber." He said. "The headache and light sensitivity are pretty common with head injuries and should go away with a little time. I'll give you some Tylenol to help. Your pupils are equal and responsive, so there are no obvious signs of further brain trauma."

"That's good." I said. "What made me pass out, then? I wouldn't have thought that headaches would cause fainting spells."

"It could be any number of things." He began. "Your blood pressure is a little elevated, so it's possible that it spiked and caused your body to shut down. I'm not really inclined to believe that though; it would have had to be pretty high to cause you to faint, and there hasn't been enough time since then for the pressure to reduce to its current level. It's most likely that you just stood up too quickly." He saw my doubting expression and took a deep breath before continuing. "Gravity plays a part on the blood in your body. If you've been sitting for a little while, the blood in your body pools within the veins of your trunk and limbs, which leaves less pumping to your brain. When you stand up too quickly, the brain is temporarily deprived of blood which can cause dizziness, pounding in the head, and even heart palpitations."

I chuckled in surprise. "Really?" I said. "You think I just stood up too fast?"

"That would be my guess." Bobby said. "But Bomber, you have to remember that your body is still recovering from significant trauma. You won't be operating at peak performance for a while yet. You still need to be sure to take it easy and get lots of rest."

"Well, that's what I was trying to do!" I said, chuckling again. "Ranger was going to take me back upstairs for a nap when I passed out." I smiled at Bobby and Ranger, but then got to thinking and my smile disappeared. "I didn't mean to worry you guys. I'm sorry for being so much trouble."

"Hey," Ranger said. He looked at me until I met his eyes. "None of this is your fault, and you certainly aren't any trouble." He waited for me to acknowledge him before continuing. "You are important to us, and everyone in this building would do anything in our power to make sure you are safe and healthy."

I saw the sincerity in his eyes and the complete agreement in Bobby's so I wouldn't argue. "Thank you." I said instead.

Ranger wiped away from my cheek the tear I didn't even know I'd cried. "Let's get you upstairs." He said. I nodded and sat up slowly. Ranger helped me to stand gradually, so that I didn't get lightheaded. Once I was firmly on my feet, I was able to assure the two men that I was capable of walking, and we headed to the elevator. I didn't think I needed two escorts, but decided not to argue.

When we got back into the apartment on the seventh floor, Ranger offered to help me get changed into something more comfortable to sleep in, but I told him that I was OK to do that on my own, and both men gave me a few minutes to change by myself. I took off my dress and hung it back up before finding another one of Ranger's t-shirts to wear to bed. It certainly didn't seem like he would be running out of clean shirts any time soon, but I hoped he didn't mind my wearing them. There was just something comforting about wearing his clothing.

It didn't take me long to change and use the toilet before heading back into the bedroom. I was just crawling into the bed when there was a knock at the door and Ranger walked in. When he saw me in his shirt, Ranger smiled. I decided to tease him like he teased me last night. "See something you like?" I asked saucily. His smile got even wider when I repeated his earlier statement. He walked around the bed and sat beside me.

"You have no idea what a turn on it is to see you in my shirt." He whispered huskily. "You're so sexy."

I felt my cheeks heat up in both embarrassment and arousal. Before I had an opportunity to respond, however, Bobby walked into the room carrying a bottle of water in one hand and a bottle of what I assumed was Tylenol in the other. He walked over to the bedside where Ranger was sitting and arched his eyebrows at Ranger until he stood up and Bobby took his place beside me. He unscrewed the cap on the water, handed it to me and then placed two pills into my hand. "I want you to rest in bed for the remainder of the day." Bobby said.

I swallowed the pills with a big swig of water and gave the bottle back to Bobby. Looking at the bedside clock, I noted that it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. "Aww, come on Bobby." I said. "At least let me roam around the apartment. I promise that I'll take it easy."

He seemed to consider my request and looked at Ranger for his opinion. "I'll be working from my office." Ranger said, indicating the door just beyond the bedroom.

Bobby nodded his head. "OK, Bomber. I want you to be sure to get lots of rest and make sure you stay hydrated." He handed me back the bottle of water. "Finish this before you go to sleep, and make sure you drink at least one bottle with both lunch and dinner." I nodded my consent and he stood up to go. "Don't forget to call me if you start to feel any worse, or if the headache doesn't go away."

"I will." I promised.

Bobby left the room and Ranger returned to his previous position beside me on the bed. "Get some rest, Babe. I'll be in the next room if you need anything." He leaned over and kissed my forehead before leaving the room. I worked at finishing the rest of the water, convinced it would cut my nap time in half when I had to woke up to use the bathroom again.

* * *

It was hot and my sweaty skin was sticking to the crappy upholstery in my latest POS car. Lula and I had been staking out my skip's house for the last forty-five minutes and were getting ready to call it a day when he showed up. Dan Jansen was a non-violent, first time offender, so I hoped to lure him to the car with the promise of rescheduling his court date and returning home within the hour. The truth was, not everyone was able to meet the increased cost of their bond the second time around, and ended up staying in jail. It usually took people at least one time through the process before they realized that, though, and I was hoping to take advantage of that ignorance today.

We got out of the car and I grabbed my purse so that my stun-gun and handcuffs were handy, and reminded Lula again that she wasn't to shoot anyone. "You need to lighten up, white girl." Lula said. I shook my head at her and we headed across the street together.

I made my way to Jansen's front door as Lula headed around back, just in case he decided to make a run for it. I knocked on the door and waited for Jansen to answer. When the door opened, I introduced myself and told him that he needed to come with me to reschedule his court date. Apparently, he didn't like that idea because he slammed the door in my face. Usually, I can get my steel-toe boot in there before the door slams shut, but due to the heat, I was wearing my light-weight sneakers and I didn't want to lose a toe.

"Mr. Jansen," I yelled through the door. "I can have the office manager from the bonds office meet us at the police station and you could be home within the hour." There was no response from the other side of the door. I knocked again and heard the tell-tale sound of a pump-action shot gun being racked. I jumped off the sidewalk and ran towards my car and was in the lawn when the first shot rang out. Lula came hauling tail around the corner and we both made it to my car in record time. So much for non-violent, I thought.

"Let's get some Cluck in a Bucket." Lula suggested. "You need ta call Batman as your backup if you wanna come back here, 'cause I don't get paid enough to be shot!" I nodded my head in agreement and we drove out of the neighborhood in the direction of Cluck in a Bucket.

I picked up my phone from the parking lot and pressed speed dial number one. "Yo." He answered.

"Yo yourself." I responded. "Any chance you or one of your guys might be interested in helping me bring in a non-violent skip who likes to shoot at people?"

"Babe."

* * *

I woke from my nap and found that I had slept for a little over three hours. It was now past lunch, and my stomach was making its discontentment known… very loudly. As I sat up, Ranger walked around the corner with a grin on his face. "Time to feed the beast." He said. I folded my arms across my stomach and raised my shoulders as if to say, 'what can I do?'

"How's your head?" Ranger asked.

"Actually, it's good." I replied. Luckily between the Tylenol and the nap my headache disappeared. I got out of bed and went to the closet for some lounge pants and returned to the bedroom. "Did Ella bring by anything for lunch?" I asked.

Ranger smiled. "Yes, she did. I was actually coming in to wake you so you didn't sleep through a meal."

I returned Ranger's smile and walked with him to the kitchen to see what Ella brought. "What is it?" I asked excitedly. Ella had yet to steer me wrong.

"Homemade chicken salad sandwiches on ciabatta bread, and a garden salad." Ranger replied.

"That sounds good." I said.

We set up our lunch on the bar in the kitchen. The salad dressing was a citrus vinaigrette. It really added a lot of flavor to the salad without weighing it down. And of course the sandwich was delicious! I couldn't help moaning appreciatively at the way the crunch of the celery and the sweetness of the red onion played against the tanginess of the spicy mayonnaise.

"Were you able to get any work done while I was sleeping?" I asked Ranger.

"Yes, I did, though I'll want to finish a few more things before I call it a night." He replied.

"Of course!" I said. "Ranger, please don't feel like you need to be here to babysit me. I know you've spent so much time away from work just to sit and watch me sleep, I don't want your business to suffer because of me.

"I meant what I said earlier." Ranger replied. "I'd do anything for you, Babe, and when I'm not worried about your safety, I can be very productive. Besides, I've designed this company to run without me for many months at a time, so we're not at risk of things falling by the wayside any time soon."

We finished our meal and went about cleaning up the kitchen together. I rinsed the plates while Ranger loaded the dishwasher. When the leftovers were stored in the fridge, I grabbed my bottle of water and brought it with me to the couch. I was surprised when Ranger joined me. "Don't you have to go back to work?" I asked.

"Not yet." He replied simply. He leaned back into the corner of the couch and pulled me to his side so that I was tucked into him. I pulled the remote off the coffee table and handed it to Ranger so he could find something for us to watch. He selected a documentary on bees. Seriously? Who wants to watch bees? Rather than listen to the television, I decided to ask Ranger about my dream.

"Ranger, do you know a woman named Lula?" I asked.

He looks at me with a smile and asks, "Yes. Do you remember her?"

"Yes and no." I replied. "I don't really remember her, but I remembered sitting in my car with her waiting for a man named Jansen to come home so I could take him to jail. When he started shooting at us, I had to call Batman for backup because Lula said she didn't get paid enough to get shot. Is she a bounty hunter, too? To be honest, her clothes suggested a different occupation, but maybe she was undercover…? Oh, and who's Batman?"

Ranger was grinning and slightly shaking his head when I was talking, like he was getting a kick out of my memory. "I remember Jansen. He was reported as a non-violent offender, but was quick with a shotgun." Ranger said. "Lula is not a bounty hunter, though she does provide you with company and what she considers back-up. She is the file clerk at your cousin's bond office."

"So my cousin is my boss, and Lula is my file clerk-companion?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied. "Most of Lula's wardrobe is from her previous profession as… as a lady of the night. You were the one to help her get the job at Vinnie's and turn her life in a different direction. You're good friends."

"How did I ever meet up with a prostitute?" I asked. "Please don't tell me I used to be a prostitute."

"No, Babe." Ranger said quickly. "You were never a prostitute. You met Lula while she was still working in that field, and you were trying to track down your first skip. As it turns out, your first skip was Joe Morelli." My mouth popped open in disbelief. "During the course of your search for Joe, you ended up on the radar of a serial murderer who ended up hurting Lula pretty seriously and left her on your fire escape as a warning. You saved Lula's life by getting her to the hospital so quickly, and have been close friends since."

"Wow." I said. "OK, there are just too many things to address in what you just told me. First off, Joe was out on bail, and skipped?" Ranger nodded with a big grin on his face. "What was he arrested for?"

"He was arrested for murder." Ranger replied. "As a former vice cop during the time of his arrest, he was doing a pretty good job of avoiding capture. Fortunately for him, you were relentless and ended up helping him to solve the murder he was framed for, and then you took him into custody for your capture fee."

"Oh, I bet he loved that." I said.

"He got over it." Ranger said, almost wistfully. "The two of you started dating shortly after that."

"OK." I said. "I'll have to ask him to fill in some gaps there another time." Ranger's face slipped seamlessly into a blank expression when I suggested talking with Joe about our dating history. "Ranger, do you have a problem with me talking to Joe?" I asked quietly. I wasn't being snooty or defensive, I was genuinely curious and hoping to determine the reason for his blank face.

"Of course not, Babe." He replied with little emotion. "Naturally he would be able to fill in the blanks better on your _former_ relationship." The way Ranger stressed the word 'former' made me think he was a little jealous, or at least that he wanted to remind me that Joe and I broke up. Fortunately for him, our breakup is one of the few things I do remember. I didn't like the direction the mood had taken and I wanted to try to distract Ranger from thoughts of Joe.

"OK, why don't you tell me how a murderer was trying to send me a message by hurting Lula." I said.

Over the next few minutes, Ranger explained Benito Ramirez to me and how I had sought him out as being connected to the murder for which Joe was arrested. It turned out that Ramirez was a serial killer, and a boxer, and between him and his manager, they were able to literally get away with murder until Joe was arrested and I tried to find him. Why would anyone ever take on another job when the very first one resulted in a serial killer out to get them? What kind of sense does that make? Ranger said I'm stubborn and I think I must be mentally deficient. Well, I'm not anymore at least.

Ranger and I ended up talking for hours about how he came to be my mentor and some of the ways he ended up helping me out over the course of the last four years. After a little prodding, Ranger began to tell me about more of the trouble I have gotten into over the years, and exactly what he has done to protect me from the many people who have tried to hurt me.

I wish I could remember all the wonderful things Ranger has done to protect me, but I don't doubt for a minute what he tells me. The way he has undertaken the search for my Bronco-stealing attacker is proof enough of that fact. I am thankful, however, that I am not plagued with the memories of all the times my life has been threatened. I don't know how someone could keep going about their normal routine as if nothing were different after something like that.

Inevitably, our conversation dwindled on this subject and a quiet fell between us, so I presented the one question he still hadn't answered. "Ranger?" I asked. "Who's Batman?"

Ranger smiled at me. "Babe."


	19. Chapter 19

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Hello all! Thank you for the great reviews. I'm just so proud that you are still reading this story! For those of you who were worried that the headache Steph had was the result of a more serious injury or condition, don't be... she's just fine. Thanks again, Chica

* * *

I was bored out of my mind. Ranger had returned to the other room to finish up some work almost two hours ago… not that I expected him to entertain me. I mean, I felt bad enough that he's missed so much work while he was looking out for me; I was not going to begrudge him the time he needed to get caught up. It just sucks that his television has over three hundred channels and nothing good was on.

Fortunately, I was saved from the monotony of channel surfing by Bobby's arrival. "Hey, Bomber!" He greeted. "You look much better. How are you feeling?"

I did not want Ranger to get wind of how bored I was because even with the short time I'd known him, I felt confident that he would stop whatever it was he was doing to keep me company. I refused to become a leech on his time. "I'm feeling great!" I replied cheerfully. I scooted over on the couch. "Come sit down. How are things with you?" I asked, patting the seat beside me.

Bobby smiled and sat beside me on the couch. "I'm good." He said. "Let's just check you over, shall we?" He pulled the blood pressure cuff from his bag and secured it to my arm. A few pumps later and it was determined that my blood pressure was now in the normal range. Next was the dreaded pen light. Fortunately for me, the pain the light had caused earlier went away with the headache. After a couple of quick neurological tests, I was declared to be in good overall health.

When Bobby had put the last of his supplies back into his medical bag, he stood up to leave. "Wait!" I said. "Don't' you want to stay a little while?" Bobby looked around like he didn't know what to say. "We're friends, right?" I asked. "Don't you want to hang out with me?"

"It's not that, Bomber." He replied. "Of course, we're friends, and normally I would love to hang out with you. It's just that I have a date." Bobby looked so uncomfortable, and I almost detected a blush against his dark skin.

"Oh." I replied. "Of course."

"I could cancel." Bobby suggested, sitting down beside me again.

"No!" I said a little too animatedly. "Don't do that. I'll be just fine. We can hang out some other time… and you can tell me about the girl you're seeing."

Bobby seemed relieved. "Absolutely." He said. "Thanks, Bomber. I'll see you tomorrow." He picked up his bag and headed out of the apartment.

Not a minute later, Ranger walked into the room. "Bobby give you the 'all clear'?" He asked.

"Yep." I replied. "How's Batman?"

Ranger groaned. "Babe."

I smiled. It had been a pretty funny response when I'd asked him about his nickname. Of course, I knew who Batman was when I'd asked him. In the memory I'd dreamt of earlier, I'd called 'Batman' on the phone and he'd responded with "Babe." I was quite sure that no one but Ranger called me that.

Still, the look on his face was priceless. He told me that the girls at the bonds office and I came up with Batman for him because of his fleet of all black vehicles and because he wears black most of the time. I suspected it might have more to do with his superhero qualities, but I kept that to myself.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Ranger asked.

"You bet!" I replied. "What is Ella bringing us?"

"I'm not sure." He said. "But she should be up here in a few minutes."

"Did you get caught up on your work?" I asked.

"I made some progress." Ranger replied. He moved over to the couch and sat beside me. "Babe, how would you feel about meeting up with your father and grandmother after dinner?"

Suddenly I was nervous. "After dinner tonight?" I asked.

Ranger seemed to sense my distress. "You don't need to see anyone if you're uncomfortable, Babe."

I thought it over. I really wasn't sure what I should be feeling about seeing my family, but I had such a bad experience with my mother that I felt a sense of dread at meeting my father and grandmother. Would they be as callous with my feelings? Try to control me? One of my biggest fears since waking up with amnesia is that someone who knows me would take advantage of the fact I can't verify what they say. They could tell me that peanut butter cookies are my favorite, when I have an allergy to peanuts, and I'd never know! OK, so that was a bad example because I specifically asked and found out I had no allergies, but you get the idea.

"Will you go with me, Ranger?" I asked shyly.

Ranger took my hand and looked into my eyes. "Babe. I won't let anyone hurt you… physically or otherwise. Of course I'll be by your side if you want me there." I nodded my head so quickly that I probably gave myself whiplash. He reached over and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. "I know this is scary, but I think you'll be happier if you can reconnect with your family."

I snuggled into Ranger's side and pressed my hand to his chest over his heart. The steady beating soothed me and I knew that I could handle anything if this man was beside me. "OK, Ranger." I said. "Let's do it."

Ranger squeezed my hand and kissed my forehead. "Good." He said. "I'll go confirm with your dad. Be right back."

He got up and grabbed his cell phone from the sideboard in the foyer, and walked into his office to make his call. Before I had the chance to be nervous about what was being said, there was a knock at the front door. I opened it to find Ella and her cart loaded with dinner.

"Hi Ella!" I greeted. "What have you brought us tonight?"

"Oh, hello Dear." She replied, wheeling her cart into the apartment. "Tonight you'll be having chicken fajitas."

I followed her into the kitchen where she began to lay out plates and bowls onto the counter. "It smells so good!" I said. Maybe I could ask to start our cooking lessons tomorrow. Then again, it was only last night that I'd asked her about giving me cooking lessons in the first place and she'd said I should take the time to focus on healing before taking on another challenge. What I needed was something to occupy my mind so I didn't go crazy while I was waiting for the Rangemen to take out the bad guys.

"I'm sure you'll like it, and I brought chocolate cake for dessert." She said.

"Thanks Ella. You're wonderful!" I replied. I went to the cupboard and grabbed a couple of plates for our dinner and set them on the counter. Ranger joined us then and said hello to Ella. In short order, the meal and all the accompaniments were laid across the bar in the kitchen, buffet style, and Ella was taking her cart back downstairs.

We filled our plates and took them to the dining room table to eat. After my first bite, I couldn't contain myself and moaned in appreciation for the delicious food. Ella had thought of everything; there were strips of onion, bell peppers and tomatoes, chopped lettuce, shredded cheese, Spanish rice, guacamole, and sour cream. I couldn't believe the flavor, it was absolutely amazing. This was definitely going on the list of meals for Ella to teach me to cook.

"Ranger?" I asked after a few moments of silence. "Is there anything I can do to help with the investigation? I mean, I feel like I'm not pulling my weight just sitting up here when everyone else is trying to figure out who's out to get me and why. I want to help."

"Babe." He replied. "You are helping. If not for you, we wouldn't have a positive identification for the man from the pharmacy. You need to focus on getting stronger and staying safe. Let the guys do the legwork to track him down."

I nodded my head at him and swallowed my last bite. "I just wish there was more I could do." Ranger reached out and grabbed my hand. His thumb ran back and forth across the back of my knuckles and despite the lack of real resolution to my stir-crazy situation, I felt comforted.

"I know, Babe." He said. "I promise, when we find the guy or figure out why he's after you, you will be firmly in the loop and can help us decide what to do next."

"Thanks Ranger." I replied quietly.

Ranger stood up from the table and made his way to the fridge where he removed a plate with a small silver dome cover. When he lifted the cover, I could see the chocolate cake Ella mentioned. He cut two slices and put them on plates before returning to the table. "If there's one thing that always makes you feel better, its Ella's chocolate cake."

I smiled at Ranger and picked up my fork. The first bite was a bit of a shock to the system. It was so moist and absolutely delectable. I'm sure I was moaning while I ate, and I wasn't even embarrassed to be doing so in front of Ranger. This cake was the most delicious thing I'd ever eaten, but I don't think Ranger liked it as much. He only ate a few bites and had an almost unpleasant look on his face. He kept moving around in his seat like he was uncomfortable. Maybe he was just thinking about the things he still has to do for work and was anxious to get back to it.

After scraping every last crumb and bit of icing from my plate, Ranger started picking up our dishes and headed back to the kitchen. We cleared the table and put away the leftovers before tackling the dishes. Once again we settled into an easy routine of rinsing the dishes before loading the dishwasher. When all was done, Ranger asked me if I was ready to meet my family. I took a deep breath and said that I was. He took my hand and led me out of the apartment and to a conference room on the first floor. This room was much smaller than the one we'd been in earlier in the day. There was only a small round table with six chairs, a television on the wall, and a dry erase board hidden in a light-colored, wooden wall cabinet opposite the TV. I took a seat and Ranger pulled a couple bottles of water from a small fridge in the corner of the room and brought them over. When he settled into the seat beside me and handed me my water, I started to get really nervous. Ranger pulled my chair closer to his and planted a kiss against my temple. "It's going to be fine, Babe." He said.

Before I had a chance to respond, there was a knock at the conference room door. Zero poked his head into the conference room to let us know that a Mr. Plum and a Mrs. Mazur had arrived. I noted that Zero had a black eye and when he saw me sitting beside Ranger, he lowered his head and walked out of the room without saying anything else. A moment later the door was opened again and I saw my father and grandmother for the first time… well, the first time I can remember at any rate.

I was hoping that looking into their faces would trigger a memory of them so that I would know what kind of relationship we had and how I should act, but I didn't recognize them at all. They seemed to hesitate when they came into the room. It seemed as though they wanted to come towards me but were afraid of scaring me off, so they didn't.

"Hi Pumpkin." My dad said.

"It's so good to see you, Stephanie." My grandmother said.

"Hello." I replied to them both.

Ranger invited them to sit down and asked if they cared for anything to drink. They both declined so we all sat just looking at one another. None of us were sure what to say. After a moment my grandmother started to cry. "Oh, Frank." She whispered. "She really doesn't remember us." My dad patted her on the hand and something about that gesture struck me as odd. Or perhaps it was just the two of them together, I don't know, but it didn't seem like that was a normal occurrence with them.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I wish I remembered. It's not just you I forgot; I don't really remember much at all… just a few random memories so far."

"It's OK, Pumpkin. None of this is your fault." Dad said. "Are they treating you OK here?"

"Oh, yes." I said. "Ranger has been wonderful and everyone else has been really kind to me." There was another pause in the conversation, but this time it seemed as if my dad was working up the courage to say something. I sat patiently, waiting for him to talk.

"I want to apologize for your mother." He began. I stiffened a little at the mention of the heartless woman I'd met only a few days ago. He must have seen my response at the mention of her because he quickly continued. "I'm not making any excuses for her, what she said was wrong, but she doesn't speak for all of your family. I only hope that you'll give the rest of us a chance to spend some time with you."

"We love you, baby granddaughter." Grandma said. "We're so thankful that you're alive, please don't shut us out, we couldn't stand to lose you."

They both had such genuine looks of concern and hop on their faces that I didn't doubt their words for a minute. I did wonder, though, that it took them so many days to contact me and I said as much. My grandmother's face was full of remorse but my father had anger written on his face. "I'm sorry, Pumpkin." He began. "When your mother came back from the hospital the last time, she told us that you didn't want to see any of us again. That you didn't remember any of us and you wanted to be left alone until you did. It wasn't until this morning that we uncovered the truth of what happened. She admitted to us what she said to both Mr. Mañoso and to you, and I don't blame you a bit for telling her to leave. I wish I could say that she saw the error in what she did, but she was defending herself to us even still. Both your grandmother and I left then to try and see you, to let you know that we love you and want to be a part of your life. Please don't shut us out."

I wasn't sure how such a woman as my mother could come from a sweet woman like my grandmother, nor how she could deserve a kind-hearted man like my father. They were both so sincere in their plea to be a part of my life and I couldn't see any reason not to be. I got up from the table and made my way around to their seats. My dad instantly stood up at my approach and I tentatively reached for a hug. It was a bit awkward at first, but after a moment, we both relaxed and took comfort from the contact. When we broke apart I made my way over to my grandmother and hugged her close. This felt so right to be held in her arms that I had no doubt we'd done this before.

When we'd exchanged our hugs and took a moment to wipe our tears away, I told them that I would definitely like to see them again, provided that they came here, and without my mother. They both readily agreed and we finished our meeting with smiles all around. Ranger and I walked them out and returned to the elevator. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "You OK, Babe?" He asked.

I smiled at him. "Yes." I replied. "Thank you for this, Ranger. You were right, I'm glad they can be a part of my life."

He returned my smile and gave me a small squeeze. When the elevator stopped, Ranger led me out onto the fifth floor. I was surprised that we came here and not directly back to the apartment. "There's one more family member for you to see tonight." He said. I looked at him in confusion for a moment before we rounded the corner into the break room and I heard a tiny wheel squeaking.

"Rex!" I exclaimed. "Thank you, Ranger!" I leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his mouth before making my way to see my little hamster baby. We shared a brief hello and I dropped another grape into his cage. Just as before, he shoved the grape into his cheek and disappeared into his soup can. "That's right, you get ready for bed." I told him. Ranger walked over and picked up Rex's cage.

"You ready to head back upstairs, Babe?" He asked. I nodded excitedly and we headed back to the elevator and into Ranger's apartment. When we got inside, Ranger set down Rex's cage on the kitchen counter and I went about refilling his water bottle and looking in the fridge for something for him to eat. I put a baby carrot into his dish and assured him I'd give him something more tasty tomorrow.

I left the kitchen and joined Ranger on the couch where we sat for a couple more hours talking and laughing with one another. It was so easy to be around Ranger. Even without memory, I felt like I was able to contribute to the conversation. I must have fallen asleep on the couch because I woke when Ranger was carrying me to the bedroom.

"Sorry I fell asleep." I said around a yawn.

"Shhh." He whispered back. "Go back to sleep, Babe. I'll take care of you."

He pulled back the comforter before laying me in the bed and then removed my lounge pants for me. Once I was tucked in, Ranger went into the closet to change for bed but I was asleep before he returned.


	20. Chapter 20

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

I struggled a little bit getting this chapter going, but I'm happy with the end results. I hope you all like it and the way some of these characters are starting to interact with one another. Thanks for the feedback; I just love your reviews! Chica

* * *

I was walking my skip down the sidewalk to the black SUV that Ranger had loaned me. It was a good thing that he had come with me so willingly because I didn't want to risk damaging another of Ranger's vehicles. For the first time in quite a while, when I told my skip that he needed to reschedule his court date and come with me to the police station, he responded by asking if he could get his wallet and house keys before we left. Scott Wells was a breath of fresh air.

We had made it to the SUV and I was about to open up the back door for Wells when the windshield of the SUV shattered and the alarm sounded. I turned around and saw a woman standing not five feet away. It took me only a fraction of a second to realize she had just thrown a brick at my head, so I was able to turn around and protect my face before impact. Unfortunately, the brick still made contact with my head and it was lights out for Stephanie.

I woke to Ranger's hand tenderly brushing my hair from my face. It appeared that I was lying on the sidewalk. My head hurt and my ears were ringing, so when Ranger asked me if I needed to go to the hospital, I could barely hear him. Even still, I understood well enough to know that I didn't want to go to the hospital over a bump to the head.

"No hospital." I said stubbornly.

"How about I take you back to Haywood and have Bobby check you out?" Ranger suggested.

"OK." I agreed. "Wait! I have to take my skip in. Did he get away?"

"No, Babe." He smiled at me with a look of incredulity on his face. "He was the one who took down your attacker. Apparently, she's your skip's ex-girlfriend. She thought she'd get back into his good graces by 'saving him' from you.

"Les and Ram are taking them both to the station. Do you want to press charges against the woman?" He asked.

"No." I replied. "I just want to get off the sidewalk and stop making a spectacle of myself."

"Come on." Ranger said as he helped me up and led me to the Turbo.

"Sorry about your windshield, but it really wasn't my fault this time." I said.

"Babe."

* * *

I woke up in bed alone, but noted that Ranger's side of the bed was still warm. He must not have been gone for long. My bladder reminded me that I needed to get up, so I'd have to put my thoughts of Ranger aside for a moment. After leaving the bathroom, I made my way to the closet in search of today's clothes, and ran into Ranger… literally. He was dressed for the gym in a white tank top, blue shorts, and a pair of white sneakers.

"Hey, Babe." He said, holding onto my shoulders so that I didn't fall. "You're up early. Are you feeling OK?"

"Yeah, I feel great." I replied. After looking him over, I had a thought. "Ranger, can I come to the gym with you?"

Ranger looked both surprised and unsure. "I don't think Bobby has cleared you for much physical activity yet. It's probably better for you to rest here."

I was disappointed but didn't want to give up that easily. After all, I needed a change of scenery. "How about I just do a little walking on the treadmill? I won't push myself too hard, and if I start feeling bad, I'll stop."

He seemed to be thinking it over, but looked like he wasn't going to agree.

"Please Ranger!" I begged. "I need to get out of here for a while. I'm going crazy with nothing to do!"

Ranger ran his hand down his face and sighed. "You promise to stop immediately if something feels off or you get dizzy or anything, right?"

I started jumping up and down. "Yes!" I cheered. "Oh, thank you, Ranger!" I wrapped my arms around him and planted a big kiss on his cheek before letting go. "Do I have any exercise clothes here?"

Ranger shook his head and said that Ella had picked up some things for me and I should have everything I need. He told me that I had five minutes to get ready before he left me here. I quickly found a pair of black shorts and a sports bra and put them on. Pulling the bra over my head hurt my ribs a little, but it wasn't too bad and I wasn't going to let on and give Ranger any reason to change his mind. There were two different pairs of running shoes in my size, so I took the ones that matched Rangers. I also found a pair of socks in one of 'my' drawers, and grabbed those, too.

After I was dressed, I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and pull my unruly hair into a ponytail. I headed into the kitchen with seconds to spare and saw Ranger drinking a cup of coffee. "No." He said, shaking his head at me.

I was confused. I certainly didn't go over my allotted time; did he change his mind about my coming along? Before I had time to ask, he grabbed me by the hand and pulled me back into the closet. He flipped through my clothes before pulling a shirt out of one of his drawers and pulling it over my head. "If you go out there like that, my men will hurt themselves." He said. I must have looked puzzled because he continued. "There's a reason you do distractions for us, Babe, you're a knockout." I smiled as he pulled me back out of the closet and we made our way to the gym.

"Ranger, this shirt is long enough to cover my shorts." I said. "I don't know if it will be any less distracting to come in here looking like I'm not wearing anything under your shirt." We were standing just outside the door to the gym. Ranger looked at me considering and nodded his head. Before I knew what was happening, he had pulled out a knife and cut off the bottom six inches of the shirt. "Whoa! Where were you keeping a knife?" I asked.

He just smiled at me. "Babe."

We walked into the gym and the half dozen or so guys already working out, stopped dead in their tracks. I guess Ranger was right, I'm distracting. Ranger and I started heading towards the treadmills and the guys were just looking at each other and looking back at me. "Why are they staring?" I whispered to Ranger. "I'm totally covered up."

"I think they're just surprised to see you." He replied. "You're not usually up this early… or ever in the gym." Ranger looked around at the guys in the gym and shot them a look that said, 'get back to work.' One by one the guys returned to whatever they were doing before our arrival.

Ranger set me up on a treadmill walking at a pace of 1.5 miles per hour. It was almost painfully slow, but I didn't argue, I was just relieved to be doing something different. Once I was situated, he made his way to the mats in search of a sparring partner. Lester put down the weights he had been using and made his way over to the empty treadmill beside me. "Good morning, Beautiful!" He said cheerfully.

"Hi Lester." I replied with a genuine smile. He really was sweet, I just hope he wasn't looking for anything more than friendship between us. "How are you this morning?"

"Oh, just fine." He replied. "Thought I'd finish up with a quick run before I have to start my shift. Do you mind if I run with you?"

I chuckled. "You're certainly welcome to run beside me, but since Bobby hasn't cleared me for any strenuous activity, Ranger has me walking at a snail's pace."

Lester smiled and started picking up speed on his treadmill. "Well, Bobby usually works out about now, so maybe he'll give you the green light for something a little more challenging when he shows."

Just then, Ram and Bobby walked into the gym. As if sensing a change in the atmosphere of the room, Bobby looked around until his eyes landed on me. He looked furious and was at my side in seconds.

"Bomber!" He yelled. "What the hell?" He hit the stop button on my treadmill and I came to a stop before the belt could finish its current rotation. "You're still recovering; you should be resting, not exercising!"

"Bobby, I'm fine." I said earnestly. "You checked me out yourself last night." He started to protest, but I cut him off. "Besides, at this pace it would take me the better part of an hour to walk a single mile. I couldn't hurt myself at this speed if I tried!"

"Relax Bobby." Chimed in Lester. "I'll keep my eyes on her." He grinned and shot a wink at me.

"Cut me some slack here, Steph. I don't think you realize just how close we all came to losing you." He said softly. That was the first time Bobby had ever called me anything but Bomber. "You've only been out of the hospital for two days. You need to give yourself the proper time to recover." The last sentence was said with such sincerity that I couldn't help but feel a genuine warmth and appreciation for the man. He clearly cared about my well-being and I was so lucky to have him looking out for me, so I told him as much.

"I'm sorry, Bobby." I said. "I don't want to upset anyone, it's just that I feel fine and I need to be doing something. If I have to stay in that apartment with nothing to do for another day, I'm going to go nuts!"

"I'm sure we can find something for you to do that would be safer for your recovery and my mental health." Bobby asserted. "Please, just relax for now and let me come up with something."

Ram helped me off the treadmill and led me to a weight bench where he had me sit down. Bobby gave me a bottle of water and instructed me to stay put until either he came back or I was ready to go back upstairs. Ram and Bobby took off out of the gym together, passing Cal who was on his way in. I was watching Ranger spar from across the gym when Cal sat down beside me.

"How's it going, Steph?" He asked.

"Pretty good, I guess." I replied. "You?"

"Not bad, not bad." He said. "What are you doing sitting over here all by yourself?"

I sighed. "Bobby put me in time out."

Cal laughed. He has such a great, hearty laugh that that I couldn't help but laugh with him. I explained about begging Ranger to let me come down to the gym and about Bobby's reaction. It seemed to me that Bobby must have had an idea for something to keep me occupied, and was going to check it out. I hope he came up with something that Ranger would approve of… and something I could actually pull off. I knew I didn't have the skills I used to have for searching for skips or whatever paperwork Ranger thought I could help Tank with, but maybe I could be of use some other way.

Rather than just sitting there like a bump on a log, Cal insisted that I spot him while he lifted weights at the very bench we were sitting on. I explained that I would not be capable of lifting anything he was going to lift, so if he were to get in trouble, I wouldn't be of any help. Cal assured me that all I'd have to do was yell and the other guys would come running if there were a problem, and that I was mostly here to keep him company.

We spent the next half an hour together laughing and having a good time while Cal lifted and I 'spotted' him. It was so fun talking with him; it was almost like I had a best friend and a big brother all wrapped into one. I felt like he truly cared for me and was happy for my happiness. Cal asked if Ranger had admitted his love for me yet and I blushed and nodded my head. I started thinking about what Ranger's confession would really mean for us now, with me the way I am.

"Whoa, where did you go just now?" Cal said, sitting up. He pulled his towel from beside him on the floor and wiped his brow as he waited for me to answer him.

"I don't know what you mean." I said.

"Yes you do." He insisted. "Come on, don't pull that with me. What are you thinking about that has you so sad?" He pulled me by the hand until I was once again sitting on the bench beside him. "Tell me what's going on in that pretty little head of yours."

"I don't know," I started. "It's just that I worry that I'm not the woman he fell in love with. He told me that when I was poisoned he thought I was going to die and he prayed for a chance to be with me, to stop wasting time. I know it's weird, but I've felt such a strong connection with him since I woke up, and there's no denying the physical chemistry between us, that I'm afraid I just got carried away by the romance of it. The truth is, it's not me he fell in love with." I tried to explain it in a way that Cal would understand what I was trying to say.

"I believed him when Ranger said he loved me, and God I loved hearing him say it, it's just that the woman he fell in love with doesn't exist anymore. The love he feels for me is based on the feelings and shared experiences he and the old Stephanie had. I don't remember any of those things. How can he love someone who doesn't even know him?" I couldn't help the tears that were falling freely down my face as I finally admitted to the fears that had been hiding just below the surface since our talk the other night. "What if I never get all my memories back and he is left with a completely different girl, and suddenly realizes that I don't have what he's looking for? I don't know what he'd see in me… I'm more of a liability to him than anything else. He's the kind of guy that would see me as an obligation and would feel compelled to stay with me, even if I wasn't the woman he loved anymore. How could I live with that?"

"Oh, Steph." Cal said as he pulled me into a hug. "How could anyone not love you? You are a sweet, thoughtful, and funny girl, and that's what Ranger fell in love with. That's what he still sees in you."

"Do you really think so?" I asked.

"I really do." Cal replied. He wiped my tears with his towel and I didn't even flinch at the fact that he'd been wiping his sweat on that very towel just a couple of minutes ago. "For now, though," He said. "Let's try to figure out what Bobby is up to."

I smiled at him. "OK. Thanks, Cal." I pulled myself away from him and fixed my ponytail.

"Maybe he'll have you restock the shelves in his clinic." Cal laughed, "At least it would be something you can handle, right? It'd get you out of the apartment for a little while?"

"Great." I said dryly. "I have no marketable skills so I've been reduced to stock-boy. What a depressing notion."

Cal was still laughing at me when Ranger walked over. "You ready to head back upstairs, Babe?" He asked.

I stood up and replied. "I guess so. I'll see you later, Cal." Cal got up and gave me a hug. "Thanks for everything." I whispered.

"Don't worry, Steph." He whispered back. "You two will be just fine."

Somehow, I believed him and that feeling made my heart lighter. I smiled up at Ranger as he put his hand on the small of my back to lead me from the gym. Before we reached the door, however, Bobby and Ram returned. Bobby was smiling like the cat that ate the canary and I couldn't hide the nervousness I suddenly felt.

"Bomber, I have the perfect plan."


	21. Chapter 21

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

This is a quick chapter, but it was necessary to set the stage for future happenings. Thanks for the continued support and reviews! Chica

* * *

Bobby insisted that both Ranger and I had showered and dressed for the day before he explained his "perfect plan" to us, so we had returned to the apartment on seven to do just that. After my shower, I dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose fitting turquoise sweater over a cream-colored cami. I had neither the time nor inclination to do anything with my hair so it went back into another ponytail. Bobby's only hint as to what I was going to be doing was his telling me to be comfortable. I opted for sneakers again.

Even though I had showered first, Ranger was both showered and dressed by the time I decided on what shoes to wear. When I entered the kitchen, ready for the day, I was surprised to see Ranger at the stove cracking open a couple of eggs. I really didn't think that I had taken that long to get ready, but I wasn't about to be waited on hand and foot either. "What can I do to help?" I asked him.

He looked me over and smiled. "There's a loaf of bread on the counter. Think you could toast a few pieces for us?"

I smiled back. "I think I can handle that." I found a very nice four-slot toaster on the counter next to the coffee maker, and loaded it up. Looking around the counter I found a glass butter dish and brought that over to the area I had claimed as my workstation. I grabbed a couple of plates from the counter and set them next to Ranger, just in time for the first couple of eggs to be plated. The toast popped up and I quickly buttered the bread before cutting two pieces diagonally and stacking the four triangles around the first plate of eggs. The last two slices of toast popped up and I buttered them quickly, too. When Ranger put two eggs on the second plate, I added the toast, and we took our plates to the bar to eat.

"Do you want more coffee?" I asked him.

"Yes, please." He replied. I poured two fresh cups and sat down beside Ranger. We ate in companionable silence. As we finished our breakfast I asked Ranger what he thought Bobby had come up with. "I don't know, Babe." He said as he picked up my plate. "But if you're ready, we can find out."

I quickly agreed and stood up to help Ranger load the dishes into the dishwasher. When I finished wiping the counter, I turned around and ran right into Ranger's chest. He had just snuck up on me, and although I was temporarily startled, I couldn't help getting excited at the contact with his muscular body. I could tell by the smirk on his face that he knew exactly what I was thinking. Ranger kept his eyes on me as he leaned his head down ever-so-slowly and planted a kiss on my lips. It was sweet and made me feel warm all over.

Before we got carried away in the kitchen, Ranger took me by the hand and we left the apartment and entered the elevator. Bobby had instructed us to meet him on the fifth floor in the conference room we had used yesterday. Ranger opened the door and guided me inside with his hand on the small of my back as usual. When we entered, we saw Bobby, Hector, Ram, and two other men I hadn't met yet, sitting around the table. Each of them had piles of paperwork, file folders, and computers in front of them, and a huge eight foot bulletin board on wheels had been brought in as well. It was loaded up with pictures, names, and what appeared to be random pieces of paper. I looked around the room in wonder, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Bobby jumped up from his seat when he saw us enter. "I thought you guys would never get here!" He said cheerfully. Bobby walked over to me and pulled me into a seat next to one of the men I didn't know, leaving Ranger to seat himself at the end of the table. "Bomber," Bobby said. "This is Rodriguez." I turned and greeted the man next to me. He acknowledged me with a tilt of his head, and then he was back to staring at his computer screen. He didn't give me another look, so I didn't feel bad about taking the time to look him over. He was small by Rangeman standards, though he was still probably taller than Hector. And he was freakishly pale for someone named Rodriguez. His baby face was clear of any facial hair, making an initial guess of his age a little harder, but I'd guess he's somewhere around twenty five.

After introducing Rodriguez, Bobby made his way to the other new face and told me his name was Junior. Bobby patted Junior on the shoulder and Junior stood to greet me from across the room. He was built very much like Ram, with dark hair and big muscles. Also like Ram, he had a genuine smile on his face when he greeted me. After meeting Rodriguez and Junior, and greeted Hector and Ram, Bobby got around to explaining why we were here and what I'd be doing.

"OK Bomber," He began. "For the better part of two weeks, Rangeman has been trying to figure out who chased you into the Delaware River. As you are aware, we have made some good progress towards identifying the person or persons responsible for that attack, as well as the two at the hospital. A lot of that was due to you… both your memory and your suggestions." I saw a hint of a smile cross Ranger's face at Bobby's praise.

"Many of Rangeman's core functions revolve heavily around the ability to get good information, and one of the ways we do that is to utilize our specialized search programs." Bobby smiled at me and continued. "These search programs are used to help us identify likely places to search for skips, important background on potential clients, as well as an extensive search for all future Rangeman employees." Bobby was walking around the room now and settled behind Rodriguez again. "Each and every file that requires a search goes across Rodriguez's desk. He then assigns someone to perform the task and reviews the information once it has been compiled. When help is in short supply, Rodriguez's workload increases substantially because these searches are critical to our business and they have to get done."

This is exactly what I was afraid of. Bobby would have been better off suggesting I stock the shelves in his clinic. I'm not that Stephanie! I don't remember how to use these specialized software programs! I wouldn't even know where to start! Please don't ask me to help… Please don't ask me to help… Please don't ask me to help.

"Here's the thing, Bomber," He continued. "Rodriguez has been working overtime to keep up with the searches because we have been pulling his usual helpers to search for your attackers." I was horrified. All the time and money Ranger was shelling out for me and I was hurting his business and running his men into exhaustion. I looked at Ranger and could feel the tears welling in my eyes. Ranger looked pissed, but he wasn't looking at me.

"Brown!" He yelled. It looked like Ranger was going to say something else but Bobby saw the look on his face and quickly interrupted him.

"Which is why the solution to both our problems is so simple!" Bobby said proudly. "We get Bomber how to run searches and she can help us keep up with the day-to-day operations while we try to track down her attackers."

"I'm not her." I whispered, finally letting the tears fall. "I don't know those software programs, Bobby, or the first thing about running a thorough search. I wouldn't be any help at all." Ranger looked at me and was in the chair next to me before I could blink. He pulled my chair around so that he was facing me and he wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm so sorry, Ranger. You shouldn't have to make your business suffer just to help me. Please, put the guys back to work like normal and make them stop looking at my stuff." I lowered my face and felt absolutely miserable. Here was Ranger, putting his own business in jeopardy for me… it just didn't seem worth it.

"You are worth everything." Ranger said firmly. I wasn't sure if I had said that last part out loud, or if he was just really good at reading me, but I knew he was wrong. I heard a slap and an 'ow' from across the room and looked up to see the pissed off faces of Ram and Junior. Bobby was holding the back of his head.

Bobby was quick to defend his suggestion. "I know she doesn't know how to use the searches yet, but she didn't know them before and we taught her." He said. "Why can't she learn again?"

All I heard was that Ranger was going to be spending more of his money and his guys' time in order to teach me something that I might be able to help him with. In the meantime, while I was learning, my teacher or teachers wouldn't be working on either solving my problem or helping Rodriguez to keep up with his workload, so it would actually make a bad situation worse.

"Look." Bobby finally said, looking at Ranger. "She wants to help and she's a capable person who could be a real asset for us after a short learning curve. It will keep her safe in the building and help prevent her from going crazy from boredom. Ram and Junior can teach her the basics from this room, while they continue to work on her case. Hector and Rodriguez can look things over and offer suggestions until she has a handle on it. Not to mention, she might remember something from working within this room when the guys are tracking down leads, or from using the computer and running a search. Just give it some thought; I really think it's the perfect solution."

I looked at the faces of the men in the room: Bobby looked disappointed but determined, Ram and Junior looked hopeful, Hector was smiling at me like he couldn't wait to hang out, and Rodriguez still hadn't looked away from his computer. Turning back to Ranger I saw a question on his face. It was like he'd thought it over and the only decision now was whether or not I wanted to do it. "What do you think, Babe?" Ranger asked. "Do you want to work with the guys?"


	22. Chapter 22

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on schedule with my posts. Thank you all for continuing to read my story and for writing your reviews. I really appreciate the support! Chica

* * *

I looked down at my hands nervously. As much as I wanted to help the guys and start pulling my weight for all the help they've given me, I was terrified of actually making things worse or being a further drain on Ranger's resources. Cal had said that one of the reasons I was so good at finding people was that I had a sense about things… an intuition that led me to answers that other people had overlooked. It seemed more likely to me that my intuition was just a great network of people to answer my questions. I was fairly certain that without the resources of the 'Burg, my researching skills would be less than impressive.

"I don't want to disappoint anyone." I said quietly. I was still staring intently at my lap when Ranger used his fingertips on my chin to tilt my head up and looked me in the eyes.

"You'd never disappoint, Babe." He said sincerely. "But the last thing I'd want is for you to do something that makes you uncomfortable because of some sense of obligation. You don't owe me anything. If you wanted to, you could just hang out in the apartment and relax, watch some TV. It'd probably be better for your recovery anyway. Whatever you want to do, Babe."

The idea of spending more time trapped in that apartment with nothing to do was swaying things considerably in Bobby's favor. If Ranger was truly supportive of this idea, then I guess I really didn't have anything to lose by learning something new. "OK." I said. "I'll give it a try."

Ranger squeezed my hand. "Proud of you, Babe." Hearing that Ranger was proud of me made my heart swell with happiness. I smiled at him and squeezed his hand in return.

Bobby was smiling ear-to-ear and asked me if I was ready to get started. I looked back at Ranger for reassurance. He just smiled at me, stood up, and kissed me on the top of my head. "I'll be in my office down the hall. Come see me if you need anything, or if you just want a break, OK?" I nodded silently as he walked out of the room and closed the door.

Turning around, I asked Bobby, "So, where do we start?"

"First," He said. "Hector is going to finish setting up your laptop so that you'll have the programs you'll need. While he's working on that, Junior is going to demonstrate on his computer how to run a typical search."

I smiled at Bobby and turned to look at the computer Hector was working on. "Pretty confident I'd say yes, weren't you?"

Hector grinned at me and said simply, "Sí." _(Yes)_

Looking over at Junior, I noticed he'd begun to gather his things; I assumed to sit beside me. Rather than making him move his laptop, his files, and all his organized piles of information, I opted to take the empty seat beside him. "Sit, sit." I said. "No reason you need to move all your gear when I can come to you."

Junior put down his computer and smiled at me. After a moment of slightly awkward silence, Junior pulled a file folder from the stack and slid it towards me. "Chad Ellingson," I read. "Who is he?"

"Ellingson is a skip we need to pick up." Junior said. "He was arrested on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon; he beat his girlfriend and her co-worker with a tire iron. Put her in the hospital for a week."

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed. "Why would he do something like that?"

"Apparently, he followed her to the Applebee's in Hamilton Township on her lunch break." He said. "There, she met up with several co-workers, one of whom happened to be a man. When she exited the restaurant talking with her male co-worker, Ellingson accused her of cheating on him and flew into a rage. He started hitting her then went back to his car to grab his tire iron. The co-worker tried to fight him off of her, earning him a blow to the head. Luckily an off-duty police officer was also having lunch and was able to disarm and arrest Ellingson."

"Was the co-worker OK?" I asked. "What about the girlfriend? You said she was in the hospital for a week, is she OK now?"

"Yeah," Junior said. "He was treated for a minor concussion and discharged from the hospital the same day. She had more serious injuries and is now recovering in an undisclosed location out of town. Ellingson was released on a $500,000 bond due to the severity of the assaults and his flight risk."

"Why would he be granted bail at all?" I asked. "Weren't they worried he would go after his girlfriend again?"

"You're right; he did try to see her while she was still in the hospital." Junior told me. "She had been granted a restraining order while he was still in police custody, so when he showed up in her hospital room he was in violation of his bond." Junior shook his head. "Again luck seemed to be with her though; she was being interviewed by the police when he arrived. Ellingson fled the hospital and hasn't been seen since, not even for his scheduled court date last week."

"So now, you need to catch him and bring him to jail in order for his bail bondsman to get his money back?" I asked.

"Essentially," He replied. "We'll earn fifteen percent of the bond amount as our fee for his capture, the rest will be returned to the bondsman along with whatever collateral was used to obtain the bond."

I quickly did the math in my head. "Wow, so you're going to earn $75,000 for taking Ellingson back to jail!"

"Yes," He answered. "Provided that we are able to find him." Junior smiled at me and turned his computer so that I could see the screen. "This is why it's so important to get these searches completed."

I nodded my head at him in agreement. "OK, so how does this work?"

Junior showed me how to access the first software program and we plugged in the data we had for Ellingson: his full name, social security number, employer's information, his address, and phone number. The software started processing the search and I watched as the little hourglass icon sat spinning on the screen. Apparently, waiting was a big part of the search process.

While the search was running, Junior told me more about the information we were after and how it would be used to track down Ellingson. The search should provide us with details like his known associates, property titles or addresses listed under his name, any vehicles registered to him, and details about his current and previous employment. In addition to the information the search would provide us, we also accessed a credit check and pulled his criminal record.

"When you're trying to find someone, there is no such thing as too much information." Junior said. "The more we learn about our skip the more we are able to predict his behavior, which ultimately leads his capture. Sometimes we end up running additional searches on the friends and family that are flagged as known associates."

"So, you'd look to see if his family has a cabin or somewhere he might hide out, or what kind of vehicle he drives so you can look for it?" I asked.

"Yes, exactly!" Junior replied. He seemed genuinely pleased with my response. "Our basic search information is not as detailed as we need it to be, so we also pull financial information using this software." He clicked on a different icon on his computer and pulled up what looked like an old DOS prompt that programmers might use.

"Wow," I exclaimed. "That looks like some really old software."

"It's not old software," He replied. "It's actually pretty cutting edge, it's just not designed for the typical consumer like Microsoft Windows." He looked like he was divulging something top secret. "It's more of a hacker format and not strictly legal, so all the results of this search will need to stay in-house for security reasons."

"So what we're doing is illegal?" I whispered. Suddenly, I was feeling a little uncomfortable with the whole process.

Junior looked to Ram before addressing me again. "Stephanie, the information we pull up is no different than that which the police have access to, it's just that the police don't make a habit of sharing that information without a warrant. We aren't trying to steal his identity or rip him off; we're trying to track down a violent man before he is able to hurt someone again."

I looked over at Ram to get his take on what Junior was saying. He was looking between Junior and Bobby, nervously awaiting my response. I turned my gaze back to Junior. I could see the sincerity in what he said, and it looked like he was hoping for my understanding and approval. "What kind of financial information do you get on this search?" I asked.

"We'll find out where he banks, if he has a safe deposit box, how many credit cards he has, and the balance of those credit cards. Mostly, we pull up the details for specific credit cards to see what he buys, where he buys it from, and when he buys it." Junior replied.

"That way you could find out if he likes a certain restaurant or has any regular appointments." I confirmed.

"You got it." Ram chimed in.

"So you use your power for good, not evil?" I smirked.

"Yeah, we use our power for good." Junior smiled at me. "Another thing you should know is that we are always in a time crunch. Obviously, the longer a dangerous skip is out of police custody, the more potential they have to commit another crime. We also have only a limited time in which to collect on the bond. Once that time frame passes, the bond is forfeited to the court and no one gets paid."

I nodded my head feeling a little better about the situation. If we could keep people safe, it would be worth bending the rules. The truth is, I'm not sure moral dilemmas are ever black and white. It seemed to me that operating in more of a 'grey' area might be the better option.

"OK," I said. "I understand how having this extra software could make a difference in your success rate, and how important it is to get guys like Ellingson back in jail. I'm not saying I think it's OK to break the law, but I can see where it might be the right thing to do."

Ram patted me on the back and smiled at me before going back to work on his computer. Junior and Bobby seemed pleased that I understood the need to bend the rules occasionally and nodded their approval at me. Hector and Rodriguez seemed oblivious to the conversation and remained with their heads bent over their keyboards.

Since we were still waiting for the results of our initial search on Ellingson, Junior handed me a new file. This time it was for a potential client, Anderson Investments. For this search Junior said we were looking for slightly different information, which included a background check on the partners, shareholders, chief investors, and a slightly more comprehensive financial search of the company as a whole. The financials we were looking at were primarily to ensure that the potential client had the ability to pay for Rangeman's services, but also that there were no red flags which might suggest money laundering, drug trafficking, or any other indicators of crime. Apparently, even though Rangeman uses illegal computer software, they don't condone working with criminals.

About an hour after we got started, Bobby was called down to the third floor to treat a minor wound that a Rangeman employee named Ramon earned while picking up a particularly hostile skip. Seems like the skip didn't want to go back to jail and thought the better option would be to pull a knife and stab Ramon. Ramon was able to deflect most of the blow but he was cut on his bicep before he was able to cuff the guy. Bobby returned to the conference room with his medical bag after he had applied a few stiches and a bandage to Ramon's arm.

Bobby sat next to me upon his return. "How are you doing, Bomber?" he asked. "Any headaches or muscle pain?"

"I'm fine, Bobby." I replied. "No pain at all."

He nodded his understanding and proceeded to pull out his blood pressure cuff and pen light from his bag. I groaned loudly. "Come on, Bobby," I exclaimed. "There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Don't go getting excited." Bobby said. "That will only increase your blood pressure and make it look worse. I'm glad you're feeling better, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't check up on you. Now come on, uncross your arms and relax. I'll be done in just a minute."

"Fine!" I huffed.

Bobby took my arm and slid the cuff on. After a moment, the pressure started to release and eventually it beeped with the digital proof that I was perfectly healthy. I stuck my tongue out at Bobby. He just grinned at me and shined the light in my eyes. It wasn't painful and apparently everything looked normal because Bobby put it and the cuff back into his bag. He completed his exam by using his fingers to gently prod my forehead around my stitches.

"We should be able to take these stitches out in a couple of days." He said. "You'll let me know if you start to get a headache or if you experience any pain at all, right?"

"Right." I agreed.

We spent the next couple of hours working on Junior's search pile until I felt that I had a good idea what I was doing. It actually seemed like the step-by-step procedure for running a search was pretty easy. After each search we ran on a skip, Junior would print the results and then Ram and I would come up with several apprehension strategies for bringing them in. It almost felt like a game. By noon we had finished searches for four potential clients and one potential employee. We also finished searches and apprehension strategies for three current skips.

The conference room door opened and Ranger walked in wearing a blank expression on his face. He looked at me and appeared to be trying to gauge how well I was doing before he reacted. I gave him a big smile to let him know that my training was going well. Ranger smiled in return and approached my chair.

"Are you ready for lunch, Babe?" He asked me.

As if on cue, my stomach growled. I was embarrassed but smiled and nodded at Ranger. "It appears that I am."

Ranger took my hand, pulled me up beside him, and led me to the elevator. Once we entered his apartment, I was able to tell that Ella has already left us lunch, and it smelled good! I almost skipped into the kitchen to discover what she'd made for us. I was excited to see the slow-cooker sitting beside a couple of large sandwiches on the counter. The slow-cooker held chicken tortilla soup and the sandwiches were made with ham, turkey, tomato, lettuce, pepper-jack cheese, and a horseradish mustard. We served ourselves and sat down at the bar to eat.

"So, how did it go this morning?" Ranger asked. "You looked like you were having fun."

"I was." I replied smiling. "It isn't as difficult as I thought it would be." I told him how Junior had taught me to use the search software, and how Ram and I would brainstorm different ways to track down and capture the skips. "It felt like we were solving a mystery."

"That's pretty much what you were doing, Babe." He replied. "A lot of people don't like the research desk because plugging information into the computer and printing reports can get tedious. Other people," He looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows. "Like the challenge of determining what motivates people and how to identify important details."

We smiled at one another while we finished our lunch. Ranger asked me for some of the capture strategies Ram and I came up with for our three skips. I told him about the woman who had a tall, half-caff, cappuccino every morning at Starbucks, and about the man who had purchased a condo under his mother's name. I also shared our frustration with the results we got on Ellingson, and how he didn't seem to have any consistent purchasing patterns or hidden property. Junior said that sometimes looking for a skip means staking-out the places they are likely to show and hoping for a break. With Ellingson, we thought he would most likely seek out his girlfriend. Since she was out of town, we thought we might be able to trick him into revealing himself if we made it look like she was still here. I explained all the ways we came up with to do that while Ranger cleaned up our dishes.

"Sounds like you have some good options there, Babe." He said. "I'm glad you were willing to help out."

I smiled lazily at Ranger and propped my arms up on the counter. "It was the least I could do." I replied. "But to be honest, I enjoyed it." I tried to muffle a yawn before Ranger noticed. I was full and relaxed, and the feeling of accomplishment still had me smiling.

Ranger finished loading the dishwasher and walked around behind me to rub my shoulders. It felt amazing and I was quickly turning to mush as the muscles in my body dissolved. "Why don't you rest for a little while?" He suggested.

While I wanted to get back to work with the guys, the idea of relaxing in Ranger's super-soft sheets was too good to pass up. I nodded my head. "OK." I said. "But only for a little while, Hector said my computer would be ready for me after lunch." Ranger agreed and led me to the bedroom and set me down on the bed. He went into the closet and brought back one of his black Rangeman t-shirts for me to wear.

"Do you want me to help you get undressed?" Ranger asked. He had that mischievous look in his eyes and a small grin on his face.

"I've got it, thanks." I blushed.

Ranger told me he would be working in his office in the next room, in case I needed anything. I smiled and thanked him before he left the room and closed the door behind him. I slipped off my sneakers and took off my clothes before pulling on Ranger's t-shirt and crawling into bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.


	23. Chapter 23

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Sorry for the delay, my internet connection was down for the weekend… The good news is that the next chapter is almost finished, so I should be able to post it by tomorrow. Thanks for the great feedback on the last chapter; I hope you all enjoy this one! Chica.

* * *

I was walking down the sidewalk in a relatively quiet neighborhood. It was a clear and sunny day and I was heading to meet up with Lula at my car which was parked a few blocks over. I had just crossed the street and was passing the second house on the block when a black SUV pulled in front of me and two guys with guns stepped out. I quickly looked behind me, trying to find an escape, but an armed Moe and Shorty were getting out of a Lincoln and coming my way. I knew that running wouldn't do me any good, they would catch me. Instead, I picked up my phone and pressed the first number on my speed dial.

Before I even had a chance to talk to Batman, I was stunned… literally. When I came to I quickly realized that I was in the trunk of a car, most likely the Lincoln. My arms were cuffed behind my back and I was squished against something hard that was scratching my legs. After a couple of minutes, the bumping and vibration of the car suddenly stopped and I was temporarily blinded by the light when the trunk was opened. I started screaming for help and Moe threatened to stun me again if I didn't stop. I asked where we were and he told me that we were at the bridge and I was going swimming. I realized when Shorty and another man helped Moe pull me from the trunk that my ankle was tied to a cinder block.

Fear swept through me like I've never known. I couldn't believe that they were doing this, especially in broad daylight. I was screaming for help, kicking, and flailing my arms around, just trying to steer clear of the railing. Cars were driving by honking their horns and waiving like they thought this was a joke or that we were filming a movie, but no one stopped to help. We made it to the railing and my foot finally made contact with something other than air. Shorty dropped his hold on me and grabbed his crotch. The guy from the SUV dropped the cinderblock and tried to grab hold of me, but I fell over the railing.

I could see the Delaware River below me as I hung suspended upside down from the bridge. The cinderblock had gotten stuck in the railing and Shorty and Moe were arguing about how to release it when a horn started blaring. I looked up to see the serious face of Ranger leaning down over me. He told me to stop moving around because the rope was loosening from my ankle. Before he was able to pull me to the bridge, I felt myself in freefall.

* * *

I was screaming and crying when I felt Ranger's arms wrap around me. He was trying to sooth me with soft Spanish words that I didn't understand. I realized that I was lying on the floor with my feet tangled in the sheets, when Ranger freed me from my bindings and lifted me onto his lap. We sat on the floor, slightly rocking, until I was calm and only sniffling.

Ranger brushed the hair out of my face and wiped away the tears from my cheeks. He kissed me gently and told me that it was OK and that I was safe. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked me.

I squeezed him tighter, comforted both by his strength and his delicious scent. "I was kidnapped, handcuffed, tied to a block, and thrown from a bridge." I said quietly. "Ranger, I fell. I was so scared. Please tell me it was just a dream and things like that don't really happen to me." I looked into his eyes, hoping to see that he didn't know what I was talking about and that it was just a dream. He looked sad and held me tighter in his arms. He didn't have to say anything at that point, I knew it had happened.

We sat in silence for a few more minutes before I disentangled myself from Ranger and stood up. "You OK, Babe?" He asked softly. He stood up behind me and gently squeezed my shoulder.

"I'm alright." I said. "I just need a minute, OK Ranger?"

"Of course." He replied.

I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind myself. I used the toilet and then made my way to the sink to wash my hands. Once my hands were clean, I splashed my face with water and stood staring at my reflection. Taking in my disheveled appearance, I tried to see past my features to the person underneath. I just wanted a glimpse of who I was, but all I saw was a sweaty brow, crazy hair, and puffy eyes. It wasn't fair that almost all of my few memories were of me in danger. Why couldn't I remember the people that were important to me, or even just some random happy memories?

Perhaps this was my subconscious' way of reminding me of the danger I was in. Maybe these memories served a purpose. I liked the idea that there was a reason for re-living these horrible events in my life. It may have just been me grasping at straws, but I felt better after thinking it through and was going to assume that there was an objective behind these dreams I keep having… I just needed to figure out what it was.

I got redressed in the clothes I had on earlier and made my way into the living room to find Ranger. He was sitting on the couch, drinking a bottle of water and motioned for me to join him when I entered the room. "How are you feeling?" He asked me.

"Better." I replied as I sat down. He handed me a bottle of water from the coffee table and I took a big swig before putting it back. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything, Babe." He replied.

"Do you think it's possible that I keep remembering all these terrible things that happened to me because there's a connection to what's going on with me now?" I looked over at him as he considered my question. "I just can't get over how little I've remembered, and yet almost every memory involves me being attacked or trying to avoid being attacked. There have to be other things in my life worth remembering, right?"

"I think there are a lot of things you'd be happy to remember." Ranger said. He tucked a curl behind my ear before he continued. "It's certainly possible that the memories you're having are somehow related to what's happening to you now, I'm just not sure how. It seems like you have been remembering events that have spanned over a couple of years, so it's unlikely that there are any common players."

I nodded in agreement. It felt like I was on to something with this train of thought though, so I wanted to keep thinking it through. "Well," I said. "Let's try to figure out what they all have in common, and maybe we'll see a pattern."

"OK." Ranger said. "What was the first memory you had since you woke up?"

"I had a dream." I replied. "When I first woke up, I was kinda freaking out because I couldn't remember who I was or what was going on and I guess I passed out. Before I woke up the next time, I dreamt that I was running from someone and falling down on the way to my car. Then he shot at me and I woke up screaming."

Ranger nodded his head. I knew he remembered when that happened because his guys at the hospital burst through the door with their guns drawn. "What was the next thing you remembered?" He asked.

"Well," I said. "I think I might have dreamt about my mother, but I can't be sure because it was right before I woke up hearing you talk to her." I shrugged my shoulders to indicate that it didn't much matter to me. "After that was when I was in the hospital shower and the cold water hit me. I remembered driving away from the Bronco, talking with you on the phone, and my ultimate drive into the Delaware."

Ranger had picked up my hand and was rubbing soothing circles across the back of it. "I guess the next memory I had was when I was sleeping after the breakfast Cal made me. I remembered sitting on a curb watching my car burn after a skip's brother fire-bombed it. Then Joe and I broke up and you took me home in your car."

"I remember that, too." Ranger said. "Though, I didn't know you and Joe had broken up that night until much later." I nodded in acknowledgement. "I think you mentioned recalling memories of the two of us while you were in the shower a couple of days ago?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I blushed remembering the intimate nature of some of those memories. Ranger looked at me with heat behind his eyes and I couldn't help wishing his lips were once again on my skin. My heart started racing as I leaned into his warmth and tilted my head towards him. Ranger didn't disappoint and quickly captured my lips with his. His tongue sought entrance to my mouth and initiated a duel with my own in a sexy battle that neither of us was going to lose. We broke apart in order to catch our breath and Ranger began kissing a path along my neck to my collar bone. When he started to suck at the base of my neck I moaned and leaned my head to the side to give him better access.

Things were really starting to heat up when Ranger pulled back and held me an arm's length away. We were both breathing heavily and I looked at him, wondering why he stopped. "If I don't stop now," He said. "I won't stop at all, and I want to do this right."

My hormones were going wild and it was hard to apply the breaks so quickly. I reluctantly nodded my head and agreed that we should wait. Ranger pulled me to him and I snuggled into his chest, his chin resting on top of my head while our heart rates slowed. "God you smell good." I said as I breathed him in. He looked down at me and smiled as he squeezed me tighter.

After a few moments of silence in each other's arms, Ranger asked, "So, any other memories you want to share?" He had a mischievous smile on his lips.

"Well, nothing quite as exciting." I replied. "But I did remember a skip shooting at me and Lula when I woke up from my nap yesterday. She said I had to call you for help, and called you Batman." Ranger shook his head in exasperation at the Batman comment. He really didn't like people comparing him to a super hero.

"And then there was the brick to the face memory from this morning." I said. Ranger looked puzzled and I realized that I must not have told him about that dream. "I was taking in a skip when his ex-girlfriend tried to 'rescue' him by hitting me in the head with a brick. You showed up when the windshield of the Rangeman vehicle you lent me was broken and the alarm went off."

"That was only a few months ago." Ranger said. "If I remember correctly, your skip was the one who took out your attacker and waited for reinforcements to arrive." He began stroking the side of my face. "You were knocked out cold and I was terrified when I arrived and found you unconscious."

"But you took care of me." I said. "You constantly do."

"I'll always look after you, Babe." He said. "You are the most important person in the world to me and I'd do anything to keep you safe." Looking into his eyes, I knew Ranger was telling me the absolute truth. I was a little uncomfortable with the magnitude of what he was telling me, so I wanted to bring the conversation back to something less emotional.

"And lastly, I was thrown off a bridge by a couple of mobster-type guys." I concluded. "Please tell me what I did to piss them off so bad, and then tell me how I survived a fall into the river with my hands cuffed behind me?"

"The guys who took you were Shorty and Moe, Uncle Sunny Sunucchi's goons. You had apprehension paperwork for Uncle Sunny and his guys took it personally." Ranger said. "As for your fall from the bridge, you managed to protect yourself by pulling into a ball before you made contact with the water, and I was there to pull you to shore."

"What do you mean, you were there?" I asked, confused. "I saw you on top of the bridge before I fell…" I gasped as I realized what that meant. Ranger had actually jumped off a bridge to rescue me. Who does that?! My mouth fell open and I just stared at him, shaking my head. "Why would you risk your life like that?"

"I told you, Babe." He replied. "I'd do anything to keep you safe." He looked at me with the warmest eyes as he held my face in his hands and gently kissed my lips. "I love you."

My heart soared! I wanted to return his sentiments but I wasn't entirely sure that what I felt for him was love and not just lust. I liked him an awful lot; he was thoughtful, kind, and sexy as hell, but I hadn't really known him long enough to fall in love with him, had I? I mean, it's not like we were already together before my accident or anything, so we're both new to this relationship. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by remaining silent, but I wanted to be truthful, too.

"Shhh." Ranger said as he used his fingers to smooth the wrinkles between my brows. "You don't have to say anything. I know this is all new for you. There's no rush; I'm willing to wait as long as it takes to earn your love." He lovingly stroked my face and I smiled at him. How did he always know the right thing to say? It's like he could read my mind. Maybe he was a super hero.

"I'm not psychic, Babe." He said. "You're just really easy to read."

I grinned at him and sat back on the couch so we were once again facing each other. "OK," I said. "Other than the fact that you're an amazing kisser, did we learn anything from the memories I dreamt of? Could you identify any common themes?"

"Well, let's see." He began. "With the exception of the memory you may or may not have had about your mother, most of the other memories revolved around your job as a bounty hunter and the skips you were after."

"That's true." I replied. "Except for the memories of you, and my fleeing from the man in the Bronco. We still don't know who he is, but the guys said that he wasn't a current or former skip of mine."

"OK, so what else do they have in common?" He asked.

I thought about it for a moment and realized there was one common theme. "You." I said. Ranger looked at me and I could see him consider what I'd said. "In everything I remembered, you were either there, or I was talking to you on the phone. Do you think that means something? Is my subconscious trying to tell me that what's happening now involves you or just that you are going to come to my rescue like always?"

Ranger grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Maybe both. We know Mendez's man, Acosta, is involved, so if Mendez is behind the attack on you, it's highly likely it has to do with me. And you know you can count on me to rescue you." He gave me a wink at his last comment. "It's also possible that your memories are just random, and have no bearing on the current situation."

While he was absolutely right, I didn't want to admit that my dreams and memories may mean nothing. "Since most of the memories were of me and my skips, maybe I should look at those files more closely to see if something was overlooked the first time?" I really hoped he'd go along with this, even if it wasn't likely to lead to anything. I needed to feel like I was somehow in control of what was happening to me, or at least like I could help solve the mystery of who was out to get me. "Do you think that would be OK?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, Babe." Ranger replied. "While we're waiting on a lead on your Bronco-stealing friend, we're kind of at a standstill. It wouldn't be a bad idea to look through your skips again, especially if you can give us your take on things. Who knows, maybe something will jog your memory."

I wasn't sure that looking through those files would lead to anything, but it felt good to be moving forward and trying to find some answers myself.


	24. Chapter 24

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Hello all! Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it :) As always, thank you for your wonderful reviews! Chica.

* * *

Ranger stood from the couch and led me to the door. We headed downstairs, hand-in-hand, and re-entered the conference room on the fifth floor. The same group of guys from this morning was in there now, except for Hector and Ram. Bobby and Junior were huddled together over a computer and Junior was talking with someone on the phone. Rodriguez looked up when we walked in, but put his head back down when he saw who had entered and went back to typing. Before we had a chance to address anyone or sit down at the table, the door opened up behind us and Hector walked in.

"Angelita, tengo tu computadora." _(Angel, I have your computer)_ Hector said. He held up the laptop in his hands and gestured for me to take it.

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Hey Ranger," Bobby said. "You here to learn how to run a search?" He laughed at his own joke.

"Actually, Stephanie and I are going to review the files for her FTAs." Ranger said. "Since she only had a few current skips, we'll start there and work our way backwards."

Bobby nodded in acknowledgement and got up to find the files in question. I took my new computer over to an empty chair and started booting it up. I really wanted to see the faces of all my skips. I was hoping that I would recognize someone and give us a lead. Not only was it as good a place to start as anywhere else, I couldn't shake the feeling that the answers we needed were right in front of us. Ranger took a seat next to me as Bobby handed him the files.

"OK, Babe." Ranger said. "Here are the three files you had at the time of your accident." He put the files between us on the conference room table. "Since then, Lula has brought one of them in, Walter Dunphy, AKA, Mooner. The other two are still FTA."

I opened the file for Dunphy and reviewed his picture. He looked like he was my age, with light brown hair and a very thin frame. He was smiling in his picture and the look seemed completely genuine on his face. I had a feeling that Dunphy was a good guy. According to the file, though, he was arrested for a couple of misdemeanor drug and theft charges. It looked like he was regularly bonded and that I was the one to typically bring him back to jail. I wondered how that would work. Would someone who was constantly jumping bail be easy to track down, or would they have a good hiding place. Of course, it looks as though I was able to bring him in no less than twelve times, so a 'good' hiding space seemed unlikely. There didn't seem to be any current employer listed either, so it surprised me that he was able to be re-bonded so many times.

"Why would Dunphy be awarded bail so often when he is clearly a flight risk?" I asked Ranger. "He also has no reportable income, so why would a bail bondsman risk their money by bailing him out?"

"Mooner is actually a friend of yours." Ranger said with a smile. "He isn't exactly a flight risk as much as he is flighty. He is usually so stoned that he just forgets his court date, so you show up at his house, watch TV with him for a while, and then take him in to get re-bonded."

"I'm friends with a stoner?" I asked, curiously.

"Babe, you have friends from all walks of life." He replied. "You have been known to buy your skips a meal on the way to jail, and typically end up making friends with them. Mooner is one of your regulars, though I believe in his case, you knew each other from high school."

I was a bit surprised by what Ranger told me, but also a bit proud that I was able to make and keep friends whose lifestyles were so different from my own. The more I thought about it, however, the more I began to realize that these examples were very different from the skips I remembered in my dreams. "How often do my skips become my friends?" I asked. "Every memory I have involving a skip also includes a violent attack against me. What would you say the odds are that I'd be attacked by my skip on any given day?"

Ranger tilted his head to the side and appeared to think it over. "Quite a large number of your skips have attacked you in some way, but most of the time it's not with the intention of seriously hurting or killing you." He began. "More like they want to get away from you so they throw garbage cans, food, or a door in your face in an effort to slow you down so they can outrun you. Violent attacks like you have remembered are actually a pretty small percentage."

I considered what Ranger told me. If there had been any lingering desire to go back to work as a bounty hunter, hearing about how often I was attacked would be enough to convince me to leave that job behind forever. The part that I couldn't wrap my head around, though, was why most of my memories were of these violent attacks against me. If those types of attacks were rare, why were they the only type I remembered? Was there something I was missing? After another moment of contemplation, I shook my head and picked up the next file in the stack.

The next FTA was a man named Raymond Alvarez. He was an attractive man who looked to be about forty years old. He had dark brown hair that was neatly trimmed, green eyes, and caramel colored skin. Unlike Dunphy, though, I got a distinctly negative impression from him. Aside from the four inch scar that ran down the side of his face, and his sour expression, there was something almost sinister in his eyes that left me with a bad feeling. Unfortunately, there was no familiarity in his features, so it seemed unlikely my immediate dislike of him stemmed from any previous dealings. He, too, was arrested on a couple of misdemeanor charges, but in his case, it was for speeding and carrying a concealed weapon without a license.

Alvarez listed his place of employment as a small doctor's office off of Broad Street, where he worked as a security guard. He claimed that his gun was necessary for his line of work, but since he had it tucked under the back of his shirt when he was pulled over for speeding, he was charged with carrying concealed as well.

"Has anyone gone after him since my accident?" I asked Ranger. "Lula or someone from Rangeman?"

"Lula attempted to locate him at his apartment, but he hasn't been home." He replied. "Same thing with his place of employment… he hasn't shown up since a couple of days before his bond expired. He's a low-level bond, so it isn't really worth the time for Rangeman to pick him up. Lula and Connie will probably get a line on him before too long and they can call for help with the pick-up if they need to once he's been located."

I nodded and flipped open the file on bachelor number three. Turns out, bachelor number three is actually bachelorette number three. Maria DeLuca was arrested for destruction of personal property when she poured sugar into the gas tank of her ex-boyfriend's car. She'd gotten off of work early and walked in on him having sex with her younger cousin.

Before I'd finished reading about Maria and her scum-bag ex-boyfriend, I had a sudden flashback of a man and a woman having sex on a dining room table. I couldn't remember either of them at first, but I felt an intense sense of betrayal and anger sweep over me. As the memory played out, I realized that I was looking at my ex-husband, Dickie. I watched as he slapped the ass of the woman he had bent over the table. He pulled her hair back and continued to pound into her as he called her a slut and asked her if she liked it rough. She arched her back and moaned before turning her head and seeing me. When our eyes locked, I recognized my arch-enemy, Joyce. She gave me a satisfied smile that was seeping with maliciousness.

"Babe?"

"Stephanie, are you OK?"

I felt tears falling down my cheeks and I rapidly blinked my eyes in order to see again. Ranger was still seated in the chair on my left; his hand was on my knee and a worried expression was on his face. Bobby was standing on the other side of me with a slightly alarmed look in his eyes, though his demeanor remained that of a stoic professional.

Ranger cupped my cheeks between his hands and wiped at my tears with his thumbs. "Babe?" He said again, softly. "Please talk to me. What is it?"

I blinked away more tears before they had a chance to fall and looked around the room, realizing that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were now staring at me. Their expressions were a combination of concern and discomfort. I was quickly becoming self-conscious. "I'm sorry." I whispered. I tried to look away from Ranger's gaze and lower my head, but he held my face still and refused to lose eye contact.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." He said firmly. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"I remembered something." I said quietly, still trying to lower my head.

"What did you remember?" Ranger asked.

"I don't want to talk about it now." I looked around the room before focusing my eyes back on Ranger's face. "Please, Ranger. I'm embarrassed." I whispered.

He nodded and finally released my face. "Sure, Babe." He said sweetly. "Do you want to call it a day and head upstairs?"

"Please, can we just pretend nothing happened?" I pleaded. "I'll be fine, I promise. Let's just keep working for a while." I picked Maria DeLuca's file again and continued reading where I'd left off. I could feel Ranger's eyes on me as I read, but he didn't interrupt or say anything. Maria had fled her boyfriend's apartment when she'd seen him with her cousin, and never said a word to the pair. She opted to drink her sorrows away that night and found that after waking up the following day, the pain had been replaced with anger.

Maria decided that the best revenge would be to attack the thing he loved the most, so she poured an entire bag of sugar into the gas tank of his brand new pickup truck. The ex-boyfriend found evidence of the sugar when he tried to leave for work and sought out reasons that the truck wouldn't start. A neighbor came forward with a witnessed account of the crime and a description of the guilty party. When the police questioned Maria, she confessed and was arrested. Her bond was low and one that would have only provided me with about fifty dollars upon her return to jail. It seemed to me that the ex-boyfriend got what he had coming to him.

"I think we should let her go." I said to Ranger, quietly.

"We don't get to make those calls, Babe." He replied, kindly. "Sometimes even the good guys do bad things, and all we can do is hope that she receives a fair shake when she talks with the judge." I nodded my understanding. "If she hadn't skipped bail, she probably would have only received a slap on the wrist."

I felt certain he was right, but I couldn't help but sympathize with her pain. Maybe I could talk with her ex-boyfriend and convince him to drop the charges. I looked at Ranger, trying to figure out how I could talk him into helping me. "Ranger," I began. "I need to talk with the ex-boyfriend."

"Why?" He asked. "Is he connected to the attacks on you? Did you remember something else?"

"No," I said. "As far as I know, he's not connected to me at all. I just need to convince him to drop the charges against Maria."

"Babe." He said. "You shouldn't be getting involved in this case at all. You're not even an active BEA." He ran his hand down his face in exasperation.

"I just need to see him. I'm sure I could persuade him to drop the charges." I responded. "Please Ranger, I need to do this." I looked at him with the most sincere puppy-dog face I could muster. "You can go with me and we could make an evening of it. Maybe we could have dinner with my father and grandmother afterwards?"

"Babe," He said again. "You are not secure outside of this building. If you absolutely must get involved, please, just call him on the phone. We can invite your family over here for dinner."

I shook my head. "I can't explain why, but it has to be face-to-face. This is important to me." I grabbed his hand and held onto it while I looked into his beautiful brown eyes. "Please, Ranger."

He sighed. "If we're leaving the building, we need to have a security team in place." I nodded. "You're going to wear a vest." I nodded again, a small smile escaping. "And when your safety is concerned, you will do what I say, when I say it." I stared at him. "This is what I do, Stephanie, and I'm the best in the field. But I can't protect you if you won't trust that I have your best interest at heart. I won't have you going off on your own and putting yourself and my men at risk because you don't think my opinion is important."

I continued to look at Ranger as what he'd said sunk in. I had no doubt that he was good at what he did. And I knew I was lucky that he cared about me enough to protect me at all, let alone in an environment he couldn't control. It occurred to me that he was making these pronouncements beforehand because he expected me to fight him. I felt guilty for my past actions, even if I couldn't remember them. It was obvious that I'd ignored his opinion and done what I wanted to, regardless of my safety, and I felt absolutely sick at the idea that my actions would have caused him or his people any additional risk.

"I won't fight you on anything, Ranger." I said seriously. "I know you don't have any reason to believe me, but I'm not the same girl you used to know. I understand the sacrifices you're making to support me while keeping me safe, and I won't throw away your trust. I'll listen to you, Ranger."

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that, Babe." Ranger replied. He had a look somewhere between appreciation and amazement on his face, and I couldn't help but smile knowing that we were building on the trust between us. We continued holding hands as we looked at one another until Junior cleared his throat.

"Um, boss." He said quietly. "I'm off shift in twenty, and I'd like to volunteer for the security detail."

"Sí, yo tambien." _(Yes, me too)_ Hector said.

"Good." Ranger said. He looked at Bobby. "Grab Cal, Ram and Hal, gear up, and meet us in the parking garage in twenty."

"Hal will be starting his shift on monitors." Junior volunteered.

"Fine," Ranger said. "Have Zero take over for him when he's done at the front desk."

Bobby nodded his head and left the room, followed by Hector and Junior. I looked at Ranger and smiled again. "Thank you, Ranger." I said softly. "I know it's a lot of extra work for you, and I really appreciate it."

"There's no price for what we give each other, Babe." He replied. "If it's important to you, I'll make it happen."

I grinned at him like a fool and jumped out of my chair. "Well then," I said. "I'd better get ready to head out. Can you help me get in touch with my dad? Maybe recommend someplace we can meet him and my grandmother for dinner?"

"I'll take care of it, Babe." He said. "Why don't you go on upstairs and grab a light jacket for tonight. I'll meet you up there in a few minutes with a bullet-proof vest for you to put on under your sweatshirt."

"OK." I said as I kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Ranger." I left the room and made my way up to Ranger's apartment to get ready for my afternoon and evening. Getting Maria DeLuca's boyfriend to drop the charges against her might not help me get back my memories, but it felt like helping her would help me, too.


	25. Chapter 25

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

This chapter is a bit longer than most, so I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the feedback! Chica.

* * *

Ranger and I arrived in the garage a couple of minutes before four o'clock and were greeted by a sea of black. In addition to the men I was expecting (Bobby, Cal, Hal, Junior, and Hector), stood Tank, and two other Rangemen I hadn't seen before. As we approached the group, Ranger cocked his head at Tank and looked at him in a way that was clearly a demand for an explanation.

"Vince and Woody are off today and wanted to volunteer to come with you on this errand." Tank said. "I was hoping to talk some sense into you. It isn't safe for her, and you know it."

Everyone stopped talking. The tension in the air was palpable as the men looked from Tank to Ranger, and awaited the fallout of a challenge to the boss. My heart started to race a little faster in apprehension. I didn't want to see Tank get hurt or in trouble, but I couldn't see Ranger ignoring his comments either, and I really didn't want Ranger to change his mind about taking me out.

"If a group of highly trained security personnel and a bullet-proof vest cannot protect one woman, then we are not the company I thought we were." Ranger said quietly. The slight menace in his voice was a clear threat to anyone who would suggest he was wrong in his assessment. "Now," he continued, turning away from Tank. "Anyone who is here on their own time will be officially on the clock as of," he looked at his watch. "One minute ago, and will be compensated accordingly. Thank you all for volunteering, but nobody works for free. Understood?"

There was a quick nodding of heads and a "Yes, sir" from the group. Tank turned around and returned to the elevator without another word. I looked around at the remaining Rangemen and I quickly realized how much manpower was being used because of my need to help a stranger. While I felt a little guilty over the wasted expense, I was secretly happy that so many people had volunteered to help me.

Ranger took my hand and led me to the passenger seat of a black SUV, buckled me in, and closed the door. When he returned to the rest of the Rangemen, he was clearly giving directions to them because they broke into groups of two and three and got into three other black SUV's. Ranger returned with Bobby, who climbed into the backseat as Ranger settled himself behind the wheel. One of the SUVs took off out of the garage, while the remaining two waited for us to leave. Once Ranger put the vehicle in gear, one SUV pulled just ahead of us and the other followed us as we made our way to the first destination.

I had no idea where Maria DeLuca's ex-boyfriend lived, so I shouldn't have been surprised that it took us over twenty minutes to get there, but apparently I'm not the most patient person. Even though I had plenty to look at out the windows, I was getting all kinds of twitchy as I sat there. Ranger reached over and grabbed my knee, stilling it from the bouncing I didn't even notice I was doing. I smiled at him apologetically. We finally arrived and parked at the curb of a worn apartment building, behind the Rangeman SUV that had been leading the way, and just in front of the other. I hadn't seen the first SUV since it left the garage and idly wondered where those guys had gone.

I made to unbuckle my seatbelt when I saw the men in front of me exit their vehicle, but Ranger held out his hands to stop me. "Remember, wait for me to come get you." He said. "The guys are going to set up a perimeter before we head into the apartment."

"Where did the first SUV go?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. "I thought they would have been here already but I haven't seen them since they left the garage."

"They pulled up one street over so they could have a clear vantage point of our path to the apartment." Ranger replied. "Ram and Junior are our best marksmen and have set up sniper positions on the neighboring rooftops in order to better observe anyone who may approach you or the area in general. We'll move in once all the guys are situated."

"Wow." I replied. "Do you really think that it's necessary to go to so much trouble? I mean, it seems unlikely that anyone would approach me out in the open, especially if they saw that I wasn't alone."

"Yes, it is necessary." Ranger said. He turned to look out of the windshield, effectively ending our conversation. A couple of minutes later his cell phone vibrated, indicating he had a text message. After reading the message, he put his phone back in his pocket and nodded in the back to Bobby before extricating himself from the vehicle. He walked around the front of the SUV towards my door, all the while his sharp eyes were looking around and searching for threats. When he got to my door, I took off my seatbelt and waited for him to let me out. He paused for a moment and then, almost reluctantly, opened my door. I took Ranger's offered hand and climbed out of the vehicle. I immediately found myself sandwiched between Bobby and Ranger as we walked quickly towards the lobby of the apartment complex.

Hal stood sentry at the door and opened it when we approached. Once we were safely inside, we made our way to the hallway on the left, just past the wall of mailboxes. I was relieved to find that we wouldn't have to walk up any stairs to get to the apartment, since elevator appeared to be out of order.

As we rounded the corner, I observed that the hallway was papered with a yellow floral design that had long ago begun to fade. The corners of nearly each strip of wallpaper were pulling away from the wall and curling in on themselves, revealing a dingy mildew-covered panel. I felt dirty just walking down the hall, but tried to rally my courage and keep from shuddering where Ranger or Bobby could see me.

There were only four doors down the hall and Hector stood at the end of them, guarding what appeared to be an emergency exit. As we approached the second door on the right, Ranger pulled me to a stop behind him and pressed my back to the wall, holding both of my hands between his. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure." I glanced towards Bobby, who had been bringing up the rear as we made our way down the hall, and observed another Rangeman standing watch at the end of the hallway. It was either Vince or Woody, but since I wasn't introduced to either man, I didn't know which one I was looking at. He was tall and muscular, just like all the other guys, but his light brown hair was a little longer than the average. He also had a strong jaw line and classic good looks. I had no doubt he could have been a model or an actor if he'd wanted. He caught me looking at him and offered a small smile, which I returned before bringing my attention back to Ranger. "It'll be fine, Ranger. Just stay here and let me talk with him."

I approached the door quickly, knocked, and took a step back to give a little space between myself and the door. Ranger and Bobby were standing on either side of the door, out of direct sight, and looking extremely tense. After a moment, the door was pulled open and a scruffy, mid-twenties, blond man stood just inside the door. He had blue eyes, a wary expression and looked like he had just woken up, even though it was late in the afternoon. "Yeah?" He said.

"Rick Quincy?" I asked.

"Who wants to know?" He asked, suspiciously.

"My name is Stephanie Plum." I replied. "I wanted to talk with you for a couple of minutes about Maria DeLuca."

"I've got nothing to say about her." He said. "That crazy bitch caused major damage to my ride. If I didn't have an uncle that runs an auto shop, I'd be out thousands."

"She was definitely in the wrong." I agreed.

"Damn straight she was!" He said. The tension in his shoulders began to relax. "Don't know what came over that psycho, but if she sent you to get me to take her back, she can forget about it!" I saw a small face poking out from behind a wall in Quincy's apartment. She looked so much like Maria's picture, that she had to be the cousin.

"Do you really not know?" I asked him quietly.

A look of utter confusion crossed his face as he responded. "How would I know? She never said anything to me!" He was getting worked up again, so I had to shut him down before I lost any chance at reasoning with him.

"Rick," I said softly. "She came over to surprise you when she got off of work early that day. She saw you with her cousin."

I heard a gasp and saw the cousin approaching Quincy from behind. Her eyes were wide and rapidly filling with tears. Quincy actually looked sick and was running his hands across his unshaved cheeks. "She saw us?" He asked quietly.

I nodded my head in reply.

"This is all my fault!" The cousin cried. "I never meant for her to find out this way, but Ricky and I fell in love." She looked at me pleadingly. Quincy pulled her into his side to comfort her. "Maria doesn't even love him, she just didn't want to be the one to break things off. Not that it makes it right." She said almost to herself.

"Do you really want her to go to jail?" I asked.

"No!" She replied vehemently. "Ricky, please don't send her to jail. It's not her fault, it's mine. I should have told her weeks ago."

"What am I supposed to do, Tina?" He asked her. "I'm still out at least $800 on the repair to my truck, not to mention the cost of bus fare while my truck's in the shop."

Before I even had a chance to respond, Tina chimed in. "I'll pay for it."

Both Quincy and I looked at her, stunned. "You would do that?" I asked her.

"Yes," She replied. "She never would have done it if we had talked to her first. I can't imagine how she must have felt seeing us together. I don't want her to go to jail, she's my family. Please, Ricky."

Quincy was running his hands across his cheeks again. "What do I do now?" He asked me.

"You go to the police station and drop the charges against her." I said.

"I don't exactly have a ride at the moment." He replied back, condescendingly.

"If I can get you a ride, would you go now?" I asked quickly. Tina's eyes were silently pleading with him to agree.

"Fine." He said. "I just want this mess over with."

"Oh, thank you, Ricky!" Tina exclaimed. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

While they were distracted I looked at Ranger. He gave me a nod and started typing into his phone. A moment later, the man from the end of the hall approached and stood beside me. Quincy looked at him in confusion and Tina with obvious appreciation. I smiled at her, completely understanding her reaction. She blushed and quickly hid her eyes into Quincy's shoulder.

"I'm Vince." He said, while holding out his hand to Quincy. "I'm a friend of Stephanie's and I'd be happy to take you to the police station."

Quincy looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, but nodded his head and left to get his keys and wallet. He returned to the door and Vince and I separated enough for him to pass. It was obvious when he first noticed Ranger and Bobby because he stopped dead in his tracks and his face visibly paled. "What…what's going on?" He asked nervously.

"Don't worry." I replied. "These guys are here for me, not for you."

He nodded. "This way." Vince said. He led Quincy down the hall the same way we had come in. Tina poked her head out long enough to see the other men in black before quickly ducking back inside, shutting the door, and locking it behind her.

I looked over to see Ranger smirk at Tina's obvious nervousness. He looked back at me and pulled me to his side before planting a kiss at my temple. "Proud of you, Babe." He said softly. I smiled into his chest as we began walking down the hall, Bobby following closely behind. When we approached the lobby, Ranger pulled me gently behind him and I was once again sandwiched between the two men. We passed Hal at the lobby door and were quick to get back into the SUV.

The men from the SUV in front of us had piled in and once more led the way for us to follow. The trailing SUV veered off after our first turn and I assumed they were heading to the police station. I never did see Ram and Junior, though I guess I wouldn't if they were perched up on a rooftop somewhere.

* * *

After what seemed like forever, but was probably only thirty or forty minutes, we pulled up alongside a small Italian restaurant. Amici Milano seemed like a pretty fancy place from the outside and I worried that I hadn't dressed appropriately in my jeans and sweatshirt. Ranger must have noticed me looking at my clothes because he was quick to inform me that in the casual atmosphere of the restaurant we were perfectly dressed. I smiled at him and waited for him to open my door.

Once again, Ranger and Bobby sat quietly in the SUV, looking around while we waited for the perimeter to be secured. I noticed that more people got out of the SUV in front of us than had before and I realized that they must have come from the SUV that took Quincy to the police station. I guess it didn't take more than one person to do that job and the rest were helping to keep me safe. Soon Ranger's phone vibrated and we were on the move.

Walking closely behind Ranger caused me to misjudge the height of the curb and I tripped. Before I was even able to see the sidewalk, though, Bobby's hands were on my hips and preventing me from doing a face-plant on the concrete. "Whoa!" Bobby said. "You OK there, Bomber?" He kept his hands on my hips as I regained my footing and we continued forward at a slightly slower pace.

We were inside only a moment later and I thanked Bobby for the save and assured him that I was perfectly fine. While Bobby and I were talking, Ranger led us to a booth in the back corner of the restaurant. It was dimly lit but otherwise offered a great view of the entire restaurant; including the door to the kitchen, the front door, and the hallway to the bathrooms and exit in the back. Ranger guided me to sit in the middle of the semi-circular booth and I scooted around so that he could sit beside me on the end. Bobby positioned himself at the other end of the booth and I looked up to see that a Rangeman had taken position at each exit and another had just walked into the kitchen.

As I looked around, I belatedly realized that we were the only patrons in the restaurant. It was not quite six o'clock, but I'd lost track of what day of the week it was, so perhaps this was a slow day. Although, even on a slow day there would have been someone else dining here. "Ranger, why aren't there any other people eating here?" I asked. "Is the place closed?"

Bobby shot Ranger an amused look. One that said, "I told you so."

"Yes, Babe." Ranger said. "They're closed for a private party."

I looked around. "Where's the party?"

Ranger chuckled lightly. "We're the party, Babe. My friend, Antonio, owns this place, so I called in a favor."

I stared at him in amazement. Not only has he had seven of his guys guard me today, he essentially bought-out the restaurant so it would be more secure. Even if it wasn't paid in cash, it would have to be a pretty hefty favor to cover the loss of income. Then again, Ranger was probably compensating him for his time; after all, "nobody works for free." I am constantly amazed at the lengths this man goes through to make me happy. I gave him a huge smile and told him that I was a very lucky girl. "You're amazing, Ranger. Thank you."

Bobby snorted quietly, causing both Ranger and me to look in his direction. "What!" I demanded.

"Nothing!" He replied with artificial sincerity. "It's just that a couple of weeks ago you would have been pissed with Ranger for doing that; now you're all "Ranger's my hero" and shit. It's weird."

"Mats! 0600." Ranger barked in reply.

Now it was my turn to snort, which led to Bobby's snicker, which ultimately led to Rangers chuckle. Before too long we were all laughing over the silliness of the moment. The waiter came over to ask us for our drink preferences and we all ordered water. He gave a slight bow before backing away from the table and turning towards the bar. I found his antics humorous; he acted as though we were royalty or something.

After the waiter delivered our glasses of water the small chime over the front door rang and we all looked to see who had come inside. My father and grandmother walked in slowly and looked around as though they had never set foot in the place before. Ram greeted them at the door and led them to our table. Both Ranger and Bobby got up to let them slide into the booth. When my dad made to slide in next to me, Bobby stopped him and insisted that my grandmother go in first. I ended up sitting between Ranger and my grandmother, and my dad was on her other side sitting beside Bobby. I'm not entirely sure why, but Bobby seemed to be relieved with the arrangement.

"How are you, Baby Granddaughter?" My grandmother asked, wrapping me in a gentle hug. "I'm so glad you invited us to join you for dinner! This is a pretty swanky place, isn't it Frank?"

"Yeah, it is." My dad replied quietly. He looked at me then and said with all sincerity, "It's good to see you pumpkin. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing much better." I replied. "My injuries are healing and I'm getting back a few memories here and there. It isn't much yet, but I think it's a good sign."

"That's wonderful!" He said, reaching his hand in front of my grandmother to grasp my own. "I'm so grateful that you have such good friends looking out for you." He nodded at Bobby before his eyes landed on Ranger. "So grateful."

Ranger gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement and then our waiter appeared with two more glasses of water and five menus. "What about the other guys?" I asked ranger. "It doesn't feel right to eat in front of them; can we order them dinner, too?"

"Babe," Ranger replied. "They're working right now. Don't worry about them; they'll eat after we're through."

"OK." I said. After a short perusal of the menu, we all placed our orders and were now sitting in silence. None of us were quite sure how to begin a conversation, but the quiet was getting to me so I decided to jump right in. "So, Dad, what do you do for a living?"

He smiled at me, seemingly pleased that I was taking an interest in him. "Well," He began. "When I was younger, I was in the Army. But when I got married and we had your sister, Valerie, it was hard to be away from home so much. Instead of re-enlisting when my contract was up, I took a job at the United States Post Service. I worked there for thirty years, retiring about three years ago. Now, I drive a taxi-cab part-time."

"Holy shit, Frank!" My grandmother said. "That's the most I've ever heard you say at one time!"

I had just taken a sip of my water when my grandmother shouted. I was so surprised by her outburst that I gasped and began choking on my water. Ranger patted my back until I had stopped coughing and was able to breathe easier again. I took a careful sip of my water to soothe my throat and swallowed carefully. "Sorry," I said to the table. "I just wasn't expecting you to curse. It caught me off guard."

My dad mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, "crazy old bat", but was otherwise quiet. Before any of us has a chance to say anything further, the bell chimes again over the door.


	26. Chapter 26

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

I toyed with how I wanted to approach this chapter for quite a while. Hopefully, you all enjoy it. Thanks for the great reviews, you guys are amazing! Chica.

* * *

When the bell chimed above the front door of Amici Milano, I noticed my father and grandmother exchange a look. Their faces had become somber and a little pale. I wasn't sure how to react to the confrontation with my mother that now seemed inevitable, but I was sure it wasn't going to be good. What I didn't understand, though, was why she would want to create a scene in a nice restaurant. If her whole philosophy on life was doing what was necessary to satisfy expectations and keep the gossips at bay, why not write a letter or make a phone call if she wanted to talk?

My eyes moved from the faces of my family to the front door in time to see someone I had not expected. Joe Morelli really was a fine specimen of a man and I couldn't help the small smile that made its way to my face when I saw him. He leaned over to talk with Ram before he raised his eyes and started walking in our direction. As he approached, I could feel the tension rolling off Ranger; he really didn't like seeing Joe here.

"Hey, Cupcake!" Joe said. He looked around the faces of the others in the booth and his smile dimmed a little. "Good evening Mr. Plum, Mrs. Mazur." He acknowledged Bobby and Ranger with a nod and it almost seemed like there was a whole sentence conveyed between Joe and Ranger though neither of them said a word.

"Joseph." My father replied emotionlessly.

"Hi Joe!" Said my grandmother. "Did you come here for dinner, too? It's a pretty nice place, isn't it?"

Joe smiled. "Yes it is a nice place, but no, I didn't come for dinner." He looked at Ranger again. "I was actually on my way home when I saw all of Ranger's vehicles out front, so I thought I'd stop by and say 'hello'." He looked to me this time. "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you, Steph. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks." I said. "I'm feeling better all the time. It's nice to be able to spend some time with my family." Grandma beamed at me, but my dad just looked curiously at Joe and Ranger. It was almost as though he was getting a read on them and their silent conversation, and not paying much attention to what I'd said at all.

"Good!" Joe replied. "I'm glad to see you on the mend." He looked again at Bobby and then rested his eyes on Ranger. "Um, Ranger, do you have a minute?"

Ranger nodded once and stood up from the table. They walked across to the other side of the restaurant and bent their heads so that Joe was practically whispering in Ranger's ear. After a moment, Ranger's eyes flew open and he looked to Joe. His blank expression quickly slammed into place so that if you hadn't been looking, you never would have seen the temporary worry cross his face. Ranger asked Joe something, and then their heads were bent together again. They continued like this for a couple of minutes while the rest of us looked on quietly.

Finally, Joe left and Ranger stood alone for a moment, running his hand down his face. Ranger walked to Ram, said a few words, and walked back to rejoin us at the table. He settled in beside me just as the door to the kitchen opened and our waiter arrived with dinner.

"What's wrong?" I whispered to Ranger.

Rather than answering me, Ranger put his hand on my thigh, gave it a squeeze, and said, "Dinner's here!" He looked at me as though trying to tell me something and then looked to my grandmother and father. I realized that he didn't want to tell me whatever was going on in front of them. I gave him a small nod of understanding and smiled.

Though he didn't say anything, it seemed that my dad caught the exchange. I made a mental note to remember how observant the man is. "Grandma," I said, after a bite of my lasagna. "What are you up to these days?"

"Well…" She began. "I've got my eyes on the newest bachelor at bingo."

Dad raised his head and closed his eyes as if he were praying a silent prayer. Grandma on the other hand, was practically giddy as she told me all about the man she planned on claiming. I was genuinely impressed that a woman her age was so vibrant and eager to live her life as though she were a woman of considerably fewer years. Only when she mentioned that the funeral she was planning to attend tomorrow was for that of the gentleman's late wife, did I get a little creeped out.

"Wait," I said. "Do you mean to tell me that the guy you've been gushing about just lost his wife? That she died so recently she hasn't even been buried yet?"

She seemed to think me a child in need of an education. "Stephanie," she said. "At my age, you don't waste a lot of time over little details like that." I looked at her incredulously. "Trust me; eligible bachelors are a hot commodity. If you're not the first to act, you'll miss out!"

I shook my head and ate the last bite of my lasagna. I can't believe I'd eaten it all. I'd been really struggling to have enough of an appetite to eat the portions I'd been given lately, and this was even larger than most. The lasagna was absolutely delicious though, and I couldn't help but eat every bite!

"Ready for dessert, Babe?" Ranger asked.

"I couldn't eat another bite!" I exclaimed. "I'm stuffed."

Everybody but Ranger looked at me as though I had two heads. Ranger just smiled and waved a hand at our waiter. He quickly produced several plates of tiramisu. I smiled at Ranger and took a bite, just to please him. Surprisingly, it was the epitome of delicious and I moaned as the taste swept over my tongue. The soft creaminess and coffee flavor blended perfectly with the lady-fingers and cocoa. I took another bite to better gauge the essence of the dessert… and then another. Before I even realized it, I had finished the whole thing.

When I finally put down my fork, my plate was as clean as could be without my licking the plate. I looked up at a chorus of smiling faces. "Glad to see you enjoying your dessert." Grandma said. "You had us worried there for a minute." She smiled again and I just shrugged my shoulders. I took a sip of the coffee that had arrived shortly after our dessert plates, and sighed with contentment.

"So," I said. "Dad. Grandma. Why don't you tell me why you thought my mother was going to crash this party?"

They looked at one another with guilty expressions, while Ranger and Bobby looked on with confusion. I remained silent, waiting for one of them to speak.

"I'm sorry, Pumpkin." Dad said. "I don't know that she would have shown up, it's just that she isn't dealing too well with being shut out."

"That was entirely her own doing!" I exclaimed. I was getting angry now. It wasn't fair for her to play the victim when she was the one who brought about this turn of events.

"Yes, she did." He replied patiently. "But you have to understand, she has been doing the same thing your whole life, hell, her whole life. No one has ever challenged her before, and she doesn't quite know how to deal with it."

"I should think it would be obvious." I replied. "She needs to tend to her own affairs and forget the idea of forcing me into becoming whomever it is that she thinks I should be, rather than who I am." I threw my napkin onto the table. "A mother's role should be to guide and nurture, not to force her will and treat with animosity."

"We agree with you, Baby Girl." Grandma said. "She was wrong and she's behaved like a horse's patoot, but that's how she's always been. She doesn't know any better."

If I hadn't been wedged into the booth, I would have stalked off. As it was, I was trapped with two people who couldn't find the courage to stand up for what was right and call out behavior that they knew was wrong. They'd rather ignore the issues for the sake of 'family harmony', even if it meant that their own daughter and granddaughter would be subjected to that treatment. "And what is your role, if not to correct her horrible behavior?" I asked. "You should be less concerned with keeping her happy and more concerned with the emotional abuse that was being forced upon me!"

"Now, come on." Dad said. "You were never abused. I would never have stood for it."

I looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious right now? Just because I wasn't beaten doesn't mean that I wasn't abused. Constant belittling and ridicule is abuse."

"You have a meddling mother who wants you to do better for yourself." He replied. "Yes, she goes about it the wrong way sometimes, but she loves you and just wants to keep you safe."

My eyes began to well up, though I wouldn't let any tears fall. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and it made me so furious that they just didn't get it. "Well, I guess now I know why this was permitted to continue for so long." I said quietly. "You don't see the problem." I looked over at Ranger. "Please take me home, Ranger. I'd like to leave."

Bobby and Ranger both stood and I slid out of the booth to face my family. "I know you don't get it, but until you see what's wrong, I don't think any of us should see one another." Looking into the faces of my father and grandmother, I could see their confusion and sadness. I knew they loved me, but it wasn't enough if they weren't going to support me. Tears that I'd been holding in now fell freely as I turned to Ranger and we walked out of the restaurant.

* * *

I sat on the sofa in Ranger's apartment, lost in my own thoughts. The drive back to Rangeman had been silent and uncomfortable. There was a tension in the air, as though the guys wanted to say something but were unsure of what to say. My mind kept swirling around the things that my mother had been saying to Ranger when I was still in the hospital. She'd said that I should quit my job and settle down, and although it wasn't her place to say anything, that really wasn't what hurt. She'd told Ranger that I was an embarrassment. How could any parent say such a thing? I'm quite sure she said those things to me constantly, which just makes me angry all over again thinking how neither my grandmother nor my own father would be concerned enough with my happiness to tell my mother that she was wrong.

I was just going around and around in my own head, with no solution in sight. My heart was heavy thinking that I didn't have a family anymore. My sister had made no attempt to contact me since I told off my mother, and I had just done the same thing to my father and grandmother. There wasn't anyone left. I felt Ranger grab my hand and that seemed to shake me out of my stupor. I squeezed his hand in return and gave him a weak smile.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No." I replied. "There's nothing to say, anyway." I rubbed my face with both hands and then shook my head. "Let's talk about something else. Why don't you tell me what Joe said?"

Ranger looked undecided.

"You said that you wouldn't keep things from me." I reminded him.

He pulled his hand down his face and scratched his chin. "OK, but I don't want to upset you until we know what we're up against and we have a plan in place to fix it."

I looked back at Ranger and grabbed his hand again. "Ranger," I paused. "Regardless of the game plan, I need to know what's happening if it involves me. You can't possibly protect me if I don't know what the danger is."

He nodded his head in agreement. "You're right, you need to know." He squeezed my hand again. "I just don't want to worry you if I don't have to." I smiled at him, encouraging him to continue. "Joe was called out earlier tonight to respond to a body dump. The man he found had been shot in the head at point-blank range and his body had been dumped in a warehouse. It looked like he had been dead for a couple of weeks."

Ranger looked at me as if he was done talking. "OK." I said. "Joe's a homicide detective, I doubt this is the first scene like that he's seen. What aren't you telling me? Did you know him?" I suddenly realized that Ranger could have just lost someone he cared about. "I'm so sorry, Ranger. Was he a friend of yours?"

"No, Babe. I didn't know him." He looked at me cautiously. "I think you did, though."

* * *

A/N

I don't usually like to end on a cliff-hanger, but this chapter was a bit angsty as it was, so I thought this was a good place to stop. I should have the next chapter up very soon. Thanks for hanging in there with me! Chica.


	27. Chapter 27

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

First, let me apologize for the delay in getting out this next chapter. I rewrote it several times before I was happy with how it played out. My first couple of drafts were making Steph seem too whiney and weak and I didn't think it fit with the stronger personality that amnesia Steph seems to have. Hopefully this version works for you all, but please let me know if you think it's getting off track.

Secondly, thank you all for the great reviews! After the last chapter, some of you were concerned that Edna may have been portrayed a little out of character. While I believe that she would not have supported Helen's behavior, the truth is that she hasn't done anything to actually prevent that behavior or the impact it has had on Stephanie. Hopefully the Plum/Mazur clan will come around, but we'll have to find out how things unfold. As always, feedback is appreciated. Thanks, Chica.

* * *

I looked at Ranger with utter confusion. Did he really say that I had known the man that was killed? My stomach sank as I considered that I may have lost a friend that I don't even remember. "Who was he?" I asked, swallowing audibly. "How did I know him?"

"Babe, the man's name was Raymond Alvarez." He said.

"Raymond Alvarez… I know that name." I replied. My brows furrowed together as I tried to recall exactly how I knew that name. Then it hit me. "He was one of my skips!" I sang. "He got pulled over for speeding and was arrested for carrying concealed." I had jumped up from the couch and was practically giddy when I remembered Alvarez. It took a moment for the reality of the situation to settle into my mind and the guilt to sink in. Here I was, dancing around, happy because I recognized a name that I had read only hours ago. I should have been thinking about the fact that a man had been murdered. I sat back down on the couch and put my face in my hands.

"Hey… hey?" Ranger said softly. He gently pulled my hands away from my face and lifted my chin to coax me into looking at him. "What's happening in that head of yours?"

"Ugh! I'm a horrible person." I replied exasperatedly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel, but I doubt excited is an appropriate response when learning that someone was just murdered."

"Babe," He said. "You have amnesia. It's perfectly normal for you to be excited when you remember something."

"I _was_ excited," I replied. "Which is completely ridiculous because it wasn't even a memory from before the accident. I remembered the details from a file I read this morning! Big accomplishment." I exhaled loudly and looked back at Ranger. "I'm sorry."

Ranger reached for my hands again and gave them a squeeze. "Give yourself a break." He said. "You're allowed to celebrate the little things, even if it seems out of place or ridiculous." He gave me an adorable grin and leaned over to kiss my temple. I snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. We sat without talking for several minutes while I enjoyed the feelings of security and comfort that he provided.

Ranger squeezed me gently and started to chuckle. "Babe, I think it's safe to take off the bullet-proof vest now."

"Oh," I said. "I'd forgotten I was wearing it." I sat forward on the couch and pulled my sweater over my head. I started unstrapping the Velcro from around my sides and pulled the vest off too. Putting my sweater back on over my cami, I settled back into the couch and glanced over at Ranger. He was practically frozen in place with his eyes all glazed over. I stared at him for a moment before he looked at me and caused my heart to start racing. God, I wanted him! He was so sexy and the way he looked at me left me with little doubt as to how much he wanted me, too. I knew that Ranger could provide a very agreeable distraction from all the craziness in my life right now, but when we were ready to take things to that level, I didn't want any other thoughts in my mind. And right now I really needed to finish the conversation we started, so I looked away from Ranger and breathed deep to refocus my mind.

"Ranger," I said. "When did Alvarez die?"

He sighed and a look of resignation replaced the lust in his eyes. "The coroner estimates that he died between thirteen and fourteen days ago."

I thought it over for a moment. "So he died the day of my accident." It wasn't a question. I didn't need confirmation on the timing as much as I wanted Ranger to acknowledge the possibility that there was a connection between the two incidents. "How likely is it that he was shot as an accident?" I didn't even wait for him to respond before I threw out another idea. "Maybe he was hit by one of the bullets that was meant for me." The volume of my voice had lowered while I was talking, so much so that the last words out of my mouth were at a near whisper.

"Babe," Ranger said. "Look at me." I pulled my eyes away from my lap and gazed into his. His expression was full of equal parts compassion and concern. "You are not responsible for Alvarez's death." I lowered my eyes again and didn't respond. "He was executed, Babe. He was shot point-blank in the forehead; it wasn't an accident."

I looked back up to Ranger's eyes, analyzing his face for any signs of deception. He seemed sincere so I nodded my head in acknowledgement. "I don't know who shot him, Ranger, but somehow, I know that Alvarez's death is directly related to me. I can't tell you why, but I feel it in my bones… he died because of me."

"You are not responsible." Ranger said again. "You didn't kill him."

"Why else would Joe have made it a point to tell you about it? If it was any other skip, would he have interrupted dinner to tell you about it, or would the police have just informed the bonds office the next day?" I challenged Ranger with both my words and my expression. He remained silent. "Look, I know you want to protect me and I appreciate it, but it's clear to me that there is a connection between me and Alvarez, and obviously you guys think so too. Acknowledging this fact isn't going to make me fall apart; I'm just that much more focused on figuring this mystery out!"

Ranger gave me an irritated look. "You're right. I do think there is a connection between you, but that doesn't make you responsible for his death, regardless of how it happened."

I conceded the point. "OK, Ranger. Let's talk about it in the morning. It's been a long day and I'd like to go to sleep."

He nodded his head and stood to help me off the couch. "Of course." I followed him to the bedroom where I slipped away to change into one of his t-shirts before crawling into the bed. "Rest, Babe. I'll just be in the next room if you need anything."

"Goodnight, Ranger." I said quietly. He closed the door on his way out of the room and before I could settle into sleep, my thoughts began roaming all over the place. I thought about Alvarez and how he could have been connected to me and the attempts on my life. I thought about how dinner with my family had gone so terribly wrong and how I managed to alienate myself from the few family members I have. I thought about Ranger and how he took care of me and loved me. As much as I was drawn to him, I didn't feel like I'd ever really be able to have a future with him until I could remember my past… and be the Stephanie he fell in love with.

Mostly though, I thought about the events that left me with amnesia. I still believed that the memories I had been having were meant to be some sort of message to me from my subconscious. If I could decipher that message, maybe I could figure out who was after me and why they wanted me dead. There had to be some other common denominator to what I remembered, and I wasn't going to stop until I figured out what it was.

* * *

I woke the following morning with a headache. I had spent several hours tossing and turning while I tried to shut off my brain. When I had finally gotten to sleep, it was restless and it left me feeling even more tired than I was when I went to bed. The clock on the nightstand read half past five in the morning, so Ranger was probably at the gym. I got up and found some Tylenol in the medicine cabinet, downed a couple of tablets and made my way to the shower. The warm water felt wonderful on my body and helped to clear the cobwebs from my brain.

No new memories had come to me during my limited sleep, but I did have a renewed belief that somehow everything I had remembered was connected. Before, when I had talked it over with Ranger it seemed like he was the common denominator, but perhaps there was something more I was missing. For a while, I had been convinced that the theme was my job as a bounty hunter and the people I'd taken into custody. While that idea felt like it was on the right track, it didn't feel complete. I'd had hundreds of skips in the few years I'd been at the job, so there has to be something about these cases in particular that I needed to recognize. I was determined to figure out what it was, so my next plan was to look through the files for the skips I'd remembered. Perhaps then I'd see the missing link.

I dressed in a pair of black cargo pants and a Rangeman t-shirt so that I looked like part of the team when I headed downstairs. I found a pair of black boots, grabbed some socks and made my way to the kitchen to see if Ella had left anything for breakfast.

"Good morning." Ranger said from beside the fridge. I jumped at his voice and dropped my shoes.

"You scared the crap out of me!" I accused.

"Sorry." He said. The small smile playing at the corner of his mouth suggested that he was not very sorry at all. Ranger took a moment to look me over and the hint of a smile on his face became a full-fledged grin. "You look good, Babe. Ready to get to work?"

"As soon as I get my boots on and something to eat." I said. "I'm starving!" I picked up my boots and moved over to the couch to finish getting dressed. I was tying up my laces when I glanced over to see what Ranger was doing. He took another pull from his bottle of water and then capped it and put the bottle back in the fridge. It was then that I noticed for the first time that he was only wearing a pair of red basketball shorts and a white sleeveless t-shirt. His body was glistening with sweat and with his wet shirt clinging to him, he looked delicious.

Ranger caught me looking at him and smirked as he stalked towards me. "Hungry, Babe?"

I was definitely hungry and wanted to taste all of him. My mouth watered and I licked my lips as I stared at his chest. I finally pulled my eyes away from his perfectly sculpted body to stare at his beautiful face. His head was cocked to the side and he was watching me appraise him. I smiled in reply, unashamed at being caught. "Yes," I said. "Definitely hungry."

He smiled in reply and leaned over me to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Stay here and I'll get ready. We can head down to five for breakfast."

I pouted.

Five minutes later Ranger emerged from the bedroom. He was dressed in his standard Rangeman gear and had his wet hair pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of his neck. I stood up from my place on the couch and we walked out of the apartment together, making our way to the fifth floor.

When the elevator doors opened, I noticed Tank approaching from the direction of the stairwell. His lip was split and swollen and he was walking with a very slight limp. As he walked past us he nodded his head at Ranger. Ranger returned the gesture and looked as though he wanted to smile but was holding himself back. I was glad that these two appeared to have put their disagreement behind them, even if it was at the expense of Tank's face.

"Hey, Little Girl." Tank said.

"Morning, Tank." I replied. He walked into a room at the end of the hall and I stood staring after him for a moment. Turning to Ranger I said quietly, "Well, it looks like you two worked out your issues."

"Come on, Babe." Ranger just smiled and put his hand at the small of my back to guide me into the break room.

Ranger and I approached the counter and I tossed an 'everything' bagel into the toaster. He opted for a bowl of fruit and some oatmeal. While I stood waiting for my bagel, Ranger set down his food and filled two cups of coffee for us and set those down at the table as well. I slathered on some cream cheese and brought my bagel to the table to join Ranger. I was surprised that there were no other people in the break room right then. Ranger said that we missed the big rush but people would continue popping in throughout the morning.

I refreshed our cups of coffee as Ranger put away our dishes and trash before we headed to the conference room that I had been working in. Ranger led me to a chair, kissed my temple, and let me know that he would be in his office if I needed him. When he left, I looked around the room and my eyes were immediately drawn to a new picture on the bulletin board. Once again I found myself looking at the face of Raymond Alvarez.

Ram caught me staring at the picture and moved over so that he was seated in the chair beside me. "You OK, Steph?"

"What?" I pulled my attention away from the bulletin board and looked over at Ram. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I looked back to Alvarez's picture. "Have you guys figured out if there was anything connecting us besides his being my skip?" I continued staring at the picture for a moment while I waited for a response. When I didn't get one right away I looked back at him. "Ram?"

"Sorry, Steph." He said. "We haven't had much luck yet, but it's really early in our search, so don't give up hope yet." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but return his smile and focus on his optimism.

"OK then," I began. "Where do we start?"


	28. Chapter 28

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Hello again! There's a lot of information presented in this chapter, though there are probably more questions that come about because of it. I hope it makes sense and that I don't lose anyone due to sloppy writing or weird conclusions. Please let me know how this works for you or where it is confusing so I can try to clear it up on the next chapter. I truly appreciate the reviews, so keep them coming! Thanks, Chica.

* * *

We spent the next six hours learning everything we could about Raymond Alvarez. It was amazingly frustrating to find so many dead-ends. The address listed on his bail application led us to a home improvement store, and his listed phone number was answered by an Armenian man who hadn't ever heard of him. I had my doubts as to the business practices of my cousin's bonds office; why would anyone have approved Alvarez's bond without as much as his address checking out? To top that off, his history didn't even begin until about six months ago, so we knew that his name was an alias. Unfortunately, knowing about the existence of an alternate identity, and actually finding it, were two very different things.

After spinning our wheels all morning, we decided that a lunch break would rejuvenate both our bellies and our spirits. Ranger had to meet up with a big client and wouldn't return until around 3:00, so the guys and I were going to order something to be delivered. We were just discussing our options when Les walked into the conference room carrying eight large pizzas from Shorty's. I looked at him incredulously, trying to figure out why he would have purchased eight pizzas for only seven people. To my immense surprise, not a single slice remained by the time we were finished eating. These guys eat like teenage boys on a growth spurt, and yet, not an ounce of fat could be found on any of them! I was shaking my head in wonder when Cal caught my eyes. "Rangeman employees commit to a very strict diet and exercise regimen." He said. "We may go a little overboard on occasion, but we'll more than work off the extra calories in the gym." He gave me a smile and a wink, and I blushed in reply, embarrassed that he could read me so easily.

When all the pizza boxes and paper plates were cleared away, my attention returned to Alvarez. So far, our attempts at finding a connection between me and Alvarez had proved to be fruitless. Since the address and phone numbers were determined to be fake, Ram contacted Connie, the office manager for Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, and asked why a bond had been approved for Alvarez. She said that his employment had been verified at a clinic downtown and he had used his car as collateral.

"Seems like our next stop should be to contact his employer," I said. "Maybe they have better information on him."

"That's a good idea," Junior replied. "If they don't have different contact information for him, they might be able to tell us about his personal life, known associates, that sort of thing."

With a few clicks of his keyboard, Hector had the contact information for the Highbury Medical Center off Broad, displayed on the large TV monitor. I dialed their phone number on the conference-style telephone on the middle of the table. I noticed Cal and Ram exchange a grin; I assume they were surprised by my quick action.

"Highbury Medical Center, Vivian speaking, how may I direct your call?"

"Hi Vivian, my name is Stephanie Plum and I'm trying to find some information about your security guard, Raymond Alvarez."

"Oh, hi Stephanie. I guess you didn't hear, but the police just found his body. He was murdered!" She said conspiratorially. "Do you lose out on your commission since you didn't bring him in?"

Every eye in the room turned to look at me in confusion. It was obvious that Vivian knew that I was after Alvarez, but how did she know? Had we already spoken about it, or did she know of me and assume my reason for the inquiry?

"I'm sorry, Vivian, but have we spoken about Alvarez before?" I asked.

"Geeze, Steph, your memory is getting to be as bad as my mothers, and she has Alzheimer's." She replied. "I have to say, I was surprised when I didn't see you, even though Doctor Perrington gave me an unexpected afternoon off, with pay, as a reward for all the extra hours I'd been putting in. I figured that if you ended up stopping by like you said you would, and I wasn't in, that you would have called me back or come in another day or something. I never heard back from you though; what happened?"

My mind was spinning with the implications of Vivian's statement. Not only did we appear to know one another, it seemed as though I had made plans to be at the clinic recently to discuss Alvarez. "Vivian, what day was that?" I asked.

"It was two weeks ago yesterday." She said. "You OK, Steph?"

"No, actually, I was in an accident and have some memory loss," I said seriously. "Do you think I could still get that information from you?"

"Oh my God!" she shrieked. "I'm so sorry about the memory loss joke, Steph, I didn't mean anything by it. Me and my big mouth. I…"

"Vivian," I interrupted. "It's fine, really."

"I really feel terrible," she said. "What can I do to help, Stephanie?"

"Well," I replied. "Can I still get the information you were going to give me? And can you tell me a little about Alvarez?"

"Of course," Vivian said. "But you'll still need to come by at my lunch hour because there isn't anyone else to cover the phones until Pam starts at 2:00. Once she gets here we can sit in the back office and no one will disturb us until my break is over."

I looked at the clock on the phone and saw that we had only fifteen minutes until Vivian's lunch break. Given the entourage that was required the last time I left the building, I didn't think we'd be able to get that many people together in that short a time. Not to mention, Ranger would shit a brick if I left without him. No, clearly meeting up this afternoon wasn't going to happen.

"Vivian," I said. "Can I meet up with you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course," she said. "So I'll see you at 2:00?"

"Sounds good." I replied.

"And Steph, I really am sorry about the memory loss thing."

"You couldn't have known, Vivian." I said. "It's all good. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow. Bye, Steph."

I hung up the phone and ran my fingers through my hair. "Well, that was interesting. I wonder how I know her." I mused.

"I think the better question is, what were you doing before you were forced to evade our Bronco driving friend?" Junior asked. "Steph, you were chased into the river on a Tuesday, two weeks ago yesterday. That was the same day you were supposed to stop at the clinic."

"Su tracker esta localizado cruzar la calle de la clínica, justo antes de su llamada de auxilio." ( _Her_ _tracker was located_ _across the street from the clinic, just prior to her call for help_ ) Hector said, without even looking up from his computer.

I looked over at Hector in confusion and then looked to the other side of the table, hoping that one of the guys would translate for me. One of these days I think I'll have to learn Spanish; it would certainly come in handy around this group. Fortunately, Ram responded without further prompting.

"He said that your car was tracked to a location across the street from the clinic the day of the accident, just before your call to Ranger." Ram looked at me with something like guilt. "I'm sorry, Steph, we didn't put two and two together because you had parked on the street in front of a Cluck in a Bucket. We assumed you had stopped there for lunch."

"I don't understand." I replied. "Are you saying that I encountered the Bronco guy on my way into the clinic? Do you think he and Alvarez were working together? Maybe Alvarez somehow found out that I was going to his work and hired the Bronco guy to kill me?"

"I doubt it." Junior said. "According to his file, he hadn't shown up to work since two days before his bond expired. It seems odd he would know what was going on at the clinic a week later, not to mention, it would be completely foolish for him to feel threatened enough to put a hit on you. I would be surprised if he even knew who was looking for him."

"There probably isn't a connection between them. It seems most likely to me that you were going to the clinic to get information on your skip when you encountered the Bronco guy." Les said. "There's no reason to believe that one thing has anything to do with the other." He paused to grab my hand. His eyes conveying sympathy. "The Bronco guy is probably working for Mendez."

"But Alvarez was executed." I said. "Why would someone have killed him the same day someone tried to kill me?"

"It could just be a coincidence," Les replied.

"That'd be a pretty big coincidence," Cal returned. Looking at Les he said, "I think Steph's right. For some reason, they were both targeted that day. Perhaps Alvarez witnessed the attack on Stephanie and was killed so that he couldn't identify her attacker?"

We all sat and let that idea soak in. Looking around the table I could see that we were all thinking the same thing… that this was the most likely scenario. And yet, in the back of my mind was a nagging suspicion that we were wrong, that we were overlooking something obvious. The only thing that sounded out of place with that scenario, at least to me, was the fact that I was still alive. If Mendez sent one of his guys to kill me, I doubt I would have had the chance to get away.

"If you were a professional killer, would you have given me an opportunity to run away?" I asked the room in general. "Or would I have even seen the bullet coming?"

"She's right," Junior agreed. "It was sloppy."

"Maybe Mendez isn't even involved." I said.

"The guy who attacked you in the hospital, Javier Acosta, is one of Mendez's guys," Cal said. "Mendez is definitely involved."

"A no ser que estamos viendo esto desde el ángulo equivicado." _(Unless we are looking at this from the wrong angle)_ Hector said. "Quizá Angelita fue testigo el asesinato de Alvarez, y el ataque a su era impeder su desde la identificacíon de ellos." _(Maybe Angel witnessed Alvarez's murder, and the attack on her was to prevent her from identifying them)_

The room got quiet again and I looked to the guys once more for translation. This time Junior volunteered. "He said that maybe you witnessed Alvarez's murder and that's why they tried to kill you."

I sat quietly for a moment while I considered what everyone had said. The initial attack on me was sloppy. I was shot at, but not hit, and I was chased around town where lots of people could see us. If someone had planned on killing me, they most likely wouldn't have been so public about it, and they wouldn't have missed because I wouldn't have known to run. If Mendez sent his man to kill me because of my witnessing Alvarez's murder, then it had nothing to do with Ranger. At least Ranger can rest easy knowing that he doesn't have a leak within his team or the men he reports to.

"OK," I began. "Assuming that I saw Alvarez murdered, and Mendez sent one of his guys to kill me, how do we learn who he sent or even where Mendez is?"

"Well," Les said. "If we find out what Alvarez was into that got him killed, maybe we can track down the people he was involved with. I think our best plan at this point is for you to meet Vivian tomorrow and to find out as much as you can about him. I'll start putting together a team and a plan of action to run past Ranger when he gets back." With that, Les got up from the table and left the room.

Hector was typing furiously on his computer and I could only guess as to what research he was currently doing. Since he was the one to suggest that I had witnessed Alvarez's murder, he was probably looking for information that would support the idea. Ram, Junior and Cal had started flipping through their notes and were typing on their computers, so I assume they were doing more of the same. As always, Rodriguez hadn't made a peep during the entire conversation and was just working away on his reports.

I looked at the bulletin board again and tried to see a missing link among all the pictures, notes, and theories presented. Unfortunately, there were more mysteries than solutions at this point. We still didn't know the identity of the Bronco driver, or how he knew that the Bronco wouldn't be reported stolen when he took it. We didn't know with any certainty why he tried to kill me in the first place, even though we had a pretty good theory to go by now. But that new theory brought on questions of its own. Why was Alvarez killed? Who killed him? Why would they have killed him in or around the clinic that I happened to be visiting? The questions seemed endless, so I decided to switch gears and try to solve a different mystery.

"I'd like to review some of my former skip files," I said. "Do you have a list of those?"

"How far back do you want to go?" Junior asked. "It's a pretty big list."

"Actually, there are only a few specific files I want to look at to start, but I don't know how far back they go," I replied. "Can I just look at the list and mark the names I want?"

"Sure," Junior replied. He looked at me quizzically. "Who are you looking for?" He slid me a few pieces of paper that had been stapled together. Listed in chronological order were all the people that I had been assigned during my time as a BEA.

"I've been remembering random events surrounding some of my former skips, so I wanted to look over their files to see if they are somehow connected or if there is a common thread between them that my subconscious is trying to clue me into." I said. Looking it over I found that the list included the name of each person I had been assigned to bring to jail, the date they were assigned to me, a brief description of the charges against them, and the date they were captured. "Where is the list of the people I couldn't find?"

I saw four heads pop up and look at me with smiles on their faces. I didn't see what was so funny, so I continued to look at them with a bewildered expression. "Angelita," Hector began. "There are none."

I don't know what was more surprising, Hector speaking English in his heavy Spanish accent, or the idea that I had captured every single person I had been assigned to bring in. "None?" I repeated.

"None," Cal said with obvious pride.

For all the crazy events that have revolved around me, it was deliciously gratifing that I wasn't a total liability in my job. While I didn't like the track record for violence, destruction, and general mayhem that I'm apparently involved with on a regular basis, this was a record I could be very proud of. I smiled back at the guys and started highlighting the names for the files I wanted to review. I was hoping the files would clue me into the reason for the seemingly random memories I'd been having since I woke up in the hospital. Though I was confident that I would eventually regain all of my memory, I was hoping that looking through these files would jump start the process.


	29. Chapter 29

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

I'm trying to update these chapters more often, but it looks like I'll be averaging a couple weeks between posts for the near future. This one is a little longer than most, so I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the great feedback! Chica.

* * *

I decided to start my research at the beginning. Unfortunately, the first memories I had when I woke up in the hospital were of the events which led me there, and those were the ones I knew the least about. I couldn't help but wonder if I remembered them first because I would need context for the memories which followed, or if my brain was just processing the last thing to happen to me before waking from a coma. Looking for a solution I could actually research, I chose to ignore for a moment the man in the Bronco and my dunk into the Delaware, as well as the flashback of eating pineapple upside down cake and being berated by my mother.

The first memory I could actually explore involved my skip, Brandon Avery. I had the file for Avery and I could read most of the details of his apprehension, so I was pretty sure that when combined with the memories I had of that night, I would have the complete picture… at least as far as Avery's apprehension was concerned. If I wanted to understand more about the conversations I'd had with both Joe and Ranger that day, I'd have to go to them directly. I couldn't see how delving further into my break-up with Joe was going to help anything, so I was going to proceed under the assumption that all I was supposed to get out of that memory revolved around my skip. This way, I'd be able to feel like I was making progress when I researched the case further.

I pulled Avery's file and started sifting through the details of his initial arrest and charges. As a nineteen year old male, Avery was technically a man, but mentally and emotionally he was every bit a boy. He was a high school dropout with no job and no ambition. When his parents refused to part with any more cash and insisted he find a job, he attempted a not-so-brilliant heist of a local ATM.

Since Avery didn't have a tow-hitch on his truck, he opted to wrap a chain around the ATM and secure it to his truck's bumper. Obviously, the hi-jacking hit a snag when his bumper came off, still attached to a stationary ATM. The bank's alarm sounded and before Avery could even get the chain off of his bumper to try again, he heard sirens in the distance. He decided to head home and wait until the police left the scene before trying again. Unfortunately for Avery, the police didn't even need to wait for the ATM's video footage to lead them to his door; they were able to track down his address from his license plate, which was still attached to the bumper he left behind.

Like so many people, Avery hoped that if he didn't show up for court, his case would somehow fall between the cracks and be forgotten. And like all the others, his hopes were dashed as soon as I showed up to take him back to jail. He went willingly enough, though I cuffed him behind his back to make it more difficult for him to escape, should he change his mind and try to run. It appears that my luck didn't last long since it was while I approached my car with Avery that his brother, Mitch, threw a Molotov cocktail through my back window.

Avery and I were able to retreat to a safe distance before the car exploded and soon the police and fire departments were on the scene. I chose to hold on to Avery rather than run after his brother, but that decision turned out to be unnecessary because Mitch seemed to be content to stand and watch my car burn. Big Dog and Carl had taken him into custody shortly thereafter and the brothers were both booked and sitting in a jail cell within the hour. Neither of them had been released on bail after that.

As I finished reading the file I started to write down anything about Avery's apprehension that could be applied to the situation I now found myself in. I looked for similarities between him and the man who tried to shoot me and chased me into the river. So far, all I was seeing were two perpetrators with nothing in common beyond the fact that they were both male. Avery was a very young man, and not especially bright, where Bronco Man was much older and seemed to have a very focused mindset. Avery was non-violent and, well, Bronco man was all about the violence. I shivered just remembering the feeling of utter terror as I tried to evade him in my car while bullets flew through the window. But as scary as that was, I don't think anything could scare me more than being unable to stop myself from driving through the barricade at the end of the pier.

"You OK, Steph?" Cal asked.

I looked up from the table to see a pair of pale blue eyes looking at me. I hadn't known Cal long, at least not that I remembered, but it seemed like he was a genuinely good friend to me and I melted a little at his concern.

"Yeah, Cal," I replied. "I'm good." I closed the file in front of me and continued to stare at it as though I could will it to answer my questions. Instead, I turned my attention to my notepad and the "T" chart I had drawn on the page. Rather than using the diagram to measure out the pros and cons of a decision, I used it to try to find similarities between the two situations.

On the left side of the page I had written "Bronco Man" and below that I had listed what little I knew about him. Beyond his physical attributes, I listed that he was motivated, violent, and not a planner. Given that he was clearly flying by the seat of his pants when he had to chase after me, not to mention his buying Aspirin at the hospital pharmacy in order to poison me, I figured it was unlikely that Bronco Man was likely to use much forethought. On the right side of the page I had written "Brandon Avery." Underneath Avery's physical description I wrote that he was lazy, non-confrontational, and not especially bright.

Not a very promising start; but a start none the less. I ripped the T-chart from my notepad and set it aside in order to review the next file. I thought about the memories I had after Avery and was immediately reminded of the steamy scenes with Ranger that I recalled during my shower the other day. There wasn't much mystery to solve with that one, but I'd make it a point to go over the _details_ with Ranger at a later time. After that, there was a little flash of recollection during the argument I'd had with Joe, but again, I didn't really remember much beyond the actual arguing. The next memory I had that I could actuallyfollow up on involved me and Lula on a stake-out at Dan Jansen's house.

I grabbed Jansen's file to review the details. I had remembered thinking that Jansen wasn't a violent offender and was a minimal risk, but given that he attempted to shoot me with his shotgun, I'm guessing that I must have missed something. According to his file, Jansen had been arrested for petty larceny when he was caught trying to steal a one hundred and fifty dollar coat from a store in the mall. It was his first offense. When he was caught he broke down in tears and didn't fight his arrest. He claimed that his nephew's birthday was that day but he didn't have any money to buy him a present. He said that he wanted to make sure his nephew had a warm coat for the coming winter.

It had been early enough in the day when Jansen was arrested that he was able to be arraigned that afternoon. He was released on a small bond due to the nature of the crime and because it was believed unlikely that he would miss his court appearance. Had he shown for court, it would have been highly likely that he would have been assigned community service. Since he didn't, however, I had been tasked with bringing him back to jail so that he could face the judge once more for sentencing. When Jansen took a shot at me, I had called Ranger for backup. It looks as though Junior and Zip had been the ones to respond to my call for aid and they were able to bring him into custody.

"Hey Junior, do you remember Dan Jansen?" I asked.

"Jansen…" He murmured to himself. "Was he the one who tried to take you out with a shotgun last year?"

"Yes," I replied. "He was out on bail with a petty larceny charge and had no criminal history until then."

"Well, he's certainly got more history now." Junior mused. "He had a pile of steroids on his kitchen table that he had been taking and appeared to be distributing to the kids on the local high school football team."

"I wonder if that was behind his unexpected behavior," I said. "He was crying when he was arrested and put up no fight whatsoever. Obviously, his response was much different when I knocked on his door a few months later."

"I'm really glad you called for help on that one," Junior said. "It took two of us to bring him down and disarm him. I'd hate to think of what would have happened to you had you tried to bring him in on your own."

Junior's eyes glazed over for a brief moment, as though he were thinking about the what-if's had he not been called out to pick up Jansen. I smiled at him and he seemed to shake himself out of it.

I pulled out my notepad again and created another T-chart. This time there appeared to be a few more things in common between Jansen and the Bronco Man. They were of a similar age, they both owned and used guns, and they both had sketchy moral character. I had previously decided that Bronco Man was not a planner. Jansen, however, seemed to have a decent grasp on that concept. He had been distributing illegal drugs and until his arrest for larceny, he was completely off everyone's radar. Jansen had been successful in covering his tracks and might have continued supplying steroids to kids for a long time had he not made a stupid decision to steal that coat… I guess _that_ was impulsive.

The next file I grabbed belonged to Scott Wells. I remembered Wells being a super easy capture since he came willingly when I showed up at his door. He had been arrested for domestic violence, though after meeting his ex-girlfriend, I have some serious doubts as to who was being violent. When I knocked on Wells' door and told him I needed to take him to jail, he simply asked if he would be able to grab his wallet and keys first. I was relieved to avoid a nasty altercation and once he had locked up, we headed to my borrowed SUV.

Unfortunately, Wells' ex-girlfriend made an appearance just before he was led to the back seat. She threw a brick through the windshield while I was facing the rear of the vehicle with my hand on Wells' arm. The glass shattered and the alarm sounded, causing me to spin around in surprise, only to face another brick that had been launched at my head. I turned to avoid getting smacked in the face, but didn't have enough time to move away before it impacted the side of my head.

Though I was unconscious for the next bit, Wells' file had all the particulars I'd missed. Apparently, when the windshield of the SUV was smashed, an alarm sounded and my cell phone was called immediately to ascertain my status. Since I didn't answer, the closest Rangeman crew in the area was dispatched. Meanwhile, Wells' ex-girlfriend uncuffed him and tried to get him to run away with her. Wells was completely shocked and disgusted at her behavior and used the newly freed cuffs to secure her until the guys showed up.

Ranger must have heard the call go out because he arrived at the same time as Lester and Ram. I remember the feeling of Ranger brushing my hair out of my face as I came-to. It was so sweet that it was almost enough to put the pain in my head and the ringing in my ears on the backburner. After determining that I was essentially OK, the guys took both Wells and his ex-girlfriend to the police station while Ranger took me back to Rangeman.

I began drawing another T-chart for Wells, and in his case, the similarities with Bronco Man were almost non-existent. Wells was mid-twenties, mild-mannered, polite, and law-abiding. I mean, he could have escaped custody while I was unconscious, but instead, he restrained his ex-girlfriend so that she couldn't get away with assaulting me. I had a lot of respect for Wells.

"Hey Ram?" I asked. "Do you know what happened to the domestic violence charges against Scott Wells?"

"I'm not sure I remember who that is, Steph," he replied.

Once I reminded him of the particulars, Ram said that he did remember the case but didn't know of the outcome of the original charges. He did say that the ex-girlfriend was charged with destruction of private property since I had refused to press assault charges on her. Ram also said that he expected that the ex-girlfriend's arrest would only help solidify his claim that the ex-girlfriend was the one assaulting him on the domestic violence charge. I made a mental note to thank him later.

There were only two other memories I've had since waking in the hospital. Well, three if you count remembering who Rex is. When I'd read over Maria DeLuca's file yesterday, I remembered walking in on my scum-bag ex-husband while he was screwing Joyce Barnhardt on our dining room table. I'm sure that that memory was strictly related to what I was reading about Maria, so I wouldn't look for hidden meanings beyond that. The last memory I could research involved Uncle Sunny. Even though many of the events I remembered were scary in some capacity, none of them has scared me quite as bad as the memory of being thrown from a bridge. I pulled the last file from the stack so I could learn about Salvatore "Uncle Sunny" Sunicchi. His file was easily twice as thick as all of the others.

Uncle Sunny was arrested on murder charges for running over a man, twice. He was a big-time mob boss and none of his friends or family members wanted to turn him in, so I was having a hard time tracking him down when he failed to show up in court. Honestly though, it seemed strange that his bond would be one I should have been tasked with in the first place. Going after a murdering mob boss seems like a job better suited for Rangeman than for me. Regardless, I tried to bring him in. Here's a fun fact, Uncle Sunny was related to Joe… the cop! I wonder if he helped me find him. I couldn't recall any interaction with Uncle Sunny directly, only his thugs for hire, so everything I was reading about him was new information. It turned out that in addition to the charges he was arrested for, he had been killing elderly women and dumping their bodies. I closed his file and made my final T-chart.

Uncle Sunny and my Bronco driving friend appeared to have quite a bit in common. They were both murderers (or attempted murderers), they both used their vehicles trying to complete those murders, and in Uncle Sunny's case, he had a good support system of friends and family to back him up and hide him. It only made sense that Bronco Man was able to stay hidden this long, unidentified, because of some support system of his own. I wondered if the man who owned the Bronco was actually part of that system.

My thoughts returned once again to Uncle Sunny and I couldn't seem to shake the mental picture I'd created of him running over a man with his car, repeatedly. How could such a person get away with it? And what made me think I could stop him? After his guys kidnapped me and threw me over a bridge, handcuffed, I still pursued him. I must be the biggest idiot! Did I think my life had no value? What kind of sense does that make?

"You're not an idiot, Steph." Cal said. He looked at me curiously, trying to determine where that line of thought originated. "What are you thinking about?"

I hadn't realized I'd been talking out loud, so I blushed at being caught. "I was just looking over the file for Uncle Sunny." I replied. "Why on earth would I go after a man that was a known mob boss and suspected murderer, especially after he attempted to kill me by sending me flying off a bridge?" I couldn't wrap my head around that thinking. "Who does that?"

Cal grinned at me. "You do that," he said. "And it's because of that determination that you have a perfect capture rate. Yes, you take chances, unnecessary ones sometimes, but because of you a serial killer is off the streets."

I smiled back at him sincerely. The idea of putting myself in harm's way, without having the skill and ability to truly defend myself, just seems like complete craziness. It's really no wonder I found myself in a hospital with brain damage… Perhaps losing my mind is the best thing that ever happened to me. Looking at my life from the outside-in has been equal parts enlightening and terrifying. Don't get me wrong, I have every hope that I would regain all my memories, but maybe if I'm lucky, I'll also regain some of my rational thinking that seems to have been missing up until now.

I collected all the T-charts that I had put together and spread them out in front of me. Cal came over to my side of the table to see what I was doing. He stood behind my chair and slightly to the left in order to review my notes. "What have you got here?" He asked. I explained to him my theory that the memories I'd been having were somehow a clue to the situation I now found myself in. If I could just find the connection, I might be able to find Bronco Man, and with any luck, the reason for the attempts on my life.

Ram and Junior also moved to stand behind me. "It doesn't look like there's any real consistency between all four of them, does it?" Ram asked.

"No," I sighed. "And the only things that Ranger and I were able to come up with that were in any way consistent between the memories were just that he was present in most of them." I got up from my chair so I could pace the room and try to collect my thoughts while the guys continued to review the T-charts. "It seems highly unlikely to me that what I'm supposed to get out of all these dreams is just that I should lean on Ranger for support. Even without my memories, I'd have figured that much out."

"Have you considered looking more at these situations than the people?" Junior asked. I gave him a puzzled expression. "Think about it from this perspective, you've brought in hundreds of skips, most of which you did without being assaulted. In each of these cases, though, you were attacked. Maybe there's something to that?"

"But it wasn't always the skip doing the assaulting." Ram chimed in. "You didn't even take into consideration the other people that played a role in these cases. After all, Scott Wells was a nice guy who just happened to have a crazy ex-girlfriend."

He was right. With the exception of Dan Jansen, I wasn't attacked by any of my skips, but someone connected to them… like their brother, ex-girlfriend, or goon squad. How could that line of thinking tie back to Jansen, though? Looking over my T-chart for Jansen I recalled that he had been labeled as a non-violent skip, so his shooting at me was a complete surprise that I was unprepared for. Maybe it's the surprise that connects them. I shared my theory with the guys and received only looks of consideration in return.

"What if it isn't one of my skips that I should be looking at, but someone connected to them." I said. "So far, the only part about this that makes any sense at all, is that all of the attacks were unexpected. Since I was initially chased from Alvarez's place of work, maybe I was trying to pick him up when he was killed, and I just happened to see it happen? Maybe I surprised his killer and he felt like he had to eliminate an eye witness?"

"It's as good a theory as any," Junior said. "The question is, what do we do now?"

"We find out as much as we can about Alvarez," Ram said. "It's too much of a coincidence that Alvarez was killed during the same time that you were chased from his work."

"So," I said. "We're back to my visit with Vivian tomorrow."

"Let's see what plan Lester came up with," Ram said. He picked up his phone and sent a text message. "Ranger should be here shortly so we can go over the details with him." A few minutes later, Ram's phone chimed with a new message. The conference room door opened at the same time and Tank and Bobby entered. They each took a seat at the table and the door opened again. This time Les walked in, followed closely by Ranger.

I had remained standing, so when Ranger walked in he greeted me with a kiss on my cheek and silently led me to sit beside him at the table. He looked around the table and then back at me, "tell me about your phone call with Vivian."

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A/N

So, what do you think? Any theories on what happened or who was behind it? Do you think Steph and the guys are on to something or are they still grasping at straws? Let me know. Thanks, Chica.


	30. Chapter 30

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Thank you all for sticking with me! I'm excited to be able to continue working on this story, and I really appreciate all the feedback and support. Chica.

* * *

Ranger and I were eating a late breakfast that Ella had prepared, while staring at each other over the table in his apartment. After spending several hours yesterday afternoon discussing the details of my pending visit with Vivian, we had pretty much talked ourselves out of maintaining even a little small talk. He was still stressed about me leaving the building in the first place, but I was willing to agree to any and all safety measures he deemed necessary in order to make him more comfortable with the decision.

Nobody liked the idea of me going into the clinic alone, myself included. Unfortunately, it was the only plan that made any sense. If I were to bring someone with me, there is a chance they could be recognized as one of Ranger's men, or just seen as intimidating to Vivian. Even after Lester presented his plan last night, and all the guys went over every detail for hours, they still maintained the fear that something could go wrong, and they would be too far away to do anything about it.

Ultimately, it was decided that I would see Vivian at her 2:00 break time. Hector assured Ranger that I would be completely decked out with communications equipment so that they would be aware of everything that was happening, while it happened. I would be wearing a hidden camera with microphone, an earpiece where only Ranger would be able to talk to me (so I wouldn't get distracted by all the chatter between the guys), and I would be carrying two trackers and a panic button. I would also have a listening device that I would plant inside the back office, if it was safe, so the guys could monitor any information that may present itself after I leave.

The eight Rangemen that would be accompanying me to the doctor's office would be broken into two teams. The first crew, consisting of Lester, Hal, Cal, and Junior, would be stationed in front of the doctor's office. Cal and Lester would remain in an SUV, Hal would be loitering around the front door, and Junior would sit in the waiting room, pretending to be a patient. At the back entrance would be an SUV with monitoring equipment that Hector and Ranger would use to view my camera's live feed. Bobby and Ram would be hidden in the periphery of the building, and Tank would be monitoring communications from Rangeman.

I put down my fork and took Ranger's hand. He looked surprised but quickly squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "You know, everything is going to be just fine," I said. He responded to my confident sentence with a weary expression. "I'm going into a place of business, during business hours, and talking one-on-one with a woman who claims me as her friend. We can talk exit strategies and personal defense until we're blue in the face, but we both know this is the best plan we could come up with, and the only lead we have to pursue." I took a deep breath and squeezed Ranger's hand. "I promise you, at the first sign of trouble, I'm out of there."

"We don't know what kind of situation you may find yourself in once you get there," Ranger said. "Anything could happen and I could be too late to get to you." He released my hand and ran it down his face. "I just can't let anything happen to you, I won't."

"Ranger, I'm going to be fine," I replied. "Just think of this outing as another excursion to speak with a skip or to have dinner with my family. Everything worked out the last time, and we have even more people to back us up this time."

"But I was with you then," he said. "I could have actually prevented a bullet from hitting you if someone had tried to take a shot at you."

"That's what the bullet-proof vest is for," I replied with a smile. "Honestly Ranger, it's going to be fine. I won't take any unnecessary risks, and won't be longer than an hour. You guys will probably just be bored watching us girls chatting away."

Ranger just shook his head gave me a weak smile. He stood up from the table and picked up our plates. "Come on," he said. "I'll put these in the dishwasher and we can head downstairs to meet up with the guys."

* * *

We pulled up to the Highbury Medical Center at 1:00. Even though I wouldn't be meeting with Vivian for another hour, the guys said it was important that they scope out any potential threats before sending me in. Lester and I sat in the back of the SUV testing the communications equipment with Ranger and Hector who were on the other side of the building, while the rest of the guys investigated the cars in the parking lot, the security on the building, and the people that made their way in or out of the building. After adjusting the volume of my earpiece and readjusting my sweater so that my vest wasn't visible, it was time for me to go.

I grabbed the sandwiches I'd brought with me and walked into the lobby of the doctor's office. Looking around the room I noticed a receptionist sitting behind a glass window. She appeared to be mid-thirties with a huge pile of messy red hair piled on her head. Her makeup was painted on a little heavily, she was a few pounds overweight, and her cardigan was a size too small to cover her impressive chest. Still, there was just something about her that made me feel instantly comfortable. I spotted Junior sitting as inconspicuously as he could in the corner, but even still, he easily stood out from the predominantly female patients. I had to remind myself not to pay him any attention and to approach the receptionist at a normal pace.

"Hi," I said as I reached the window. I placed a smile on my face and waited for the receptionist to look up from her computer and finish her call. Without even looking in my direction, her finger shot up indicating I should wait.

She finished her call, typed for a couple more seconds onto her keyboard, and then looked up. Her eyes lit up in recognition and her face softened considerably when she gave me a genuine smile. "Hey Steph!" She greeted.

It seemed pretty likely that this woman was the one I was meeting, so I took a chance by greeting her in kind. "Hey Vivian," I replied. I held up the sandwiches I'd brought so she could see them through the window. "Ready for some lunch?"

She nodded. "Let me just grab Pam to cover the front desk and we can head back into the break area."

"Sounds good," I said.

After a short conversation with a middle-aged blond woman, Vivian walked out a side door and emerged at the door to the lobby, holding it open for me. We walked down a narrow hallway and passed three exam rooms before we reached an unmarked door at the end. I was surprised by the bright and cheery room we entered. Rather than the sterile white walls of a typical doctor's office, this one was painted in a pastel yellow and had brightly colored chairs surrounding an oblong table in the center of the room. It was obvious that this was where the employees took their breaks, as there was a small kitchenette to one side, but judging by the number of filing cabinets along the opposite wall, the room also seemed to double as a home for their patients' files.

I followed Vivian into the room and she motioned for me to take a seat at the table as she walked towards the fridge. "What would you like to drink?" She asked. "I've got bottled water and Diet Coke."

"Water is fine, thank you." I replied with a smile.

While Vivian was getting our beverages out of the fridge, I pulled out the listening device I was supposed to leave in the room. I pulled the thin film off the back of the adhesive and stuck it to the underside of the table, smiling at myself when I saw that Vivian was still behind the fridge door and hadn't seen a thing.

"Good work, Babe." I heard from my earpiece.

I jumped in my seat and tried to school my expression before Vivian joined me at the table. I had been so focused that I'd actually forgotten about Ranger being in my head and that the guys would be able to see and hear everything. I took a deep breath and smiled as Vivian sat down across from me.

"Thanks," I said as Vivian slid a bottle of water across the table in front of me. We stared at each other for just a moment before her eyes landed on the paper bag I'd brought. "Right, sorry!" I dumped the two sandwiches onto the table. "Tuna or turkey?" I asked.

"I'll take the turkey." She replied.

We both unwrapped our sandwiches and took a couple of bites before she started talking again. "I don't want to be rude, so please forgive me if I put my foot into my mouth," Vivian began. "But how much of your memory did you lose?"

I took another bite of my sandwich to buy myself time to decide how much I should tell her. It was clear to me that she was genuinely curious and not intending to poke fun or take advantage of me, but I couldn't help but feel that the fewer people that knew the full extent of my memory loss, the better. Whether it was woman's intuition or a sixth sense, I just had an instinct that it would be dangerous if everyone knew.

"It's really just a few details here and there that I've forgotten." I said. "No biggie."

Vivian's head tilted slightly to the left and she appeared to be considering what I'd told her. After a moment, she seemed to come to a decision and she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "If you say so," she said. She took another bite of her sandwich and I relaxed when she didn't press the subject. "So what do you want to know about Raymond?"

"Well," I began. "As you know, he was one of my skips, so initially I was just trying to get some information that I could use to track him down." She nodded her head and I continued. "After his body was discovered, though, it looks like his death may be part of another case I'm working on. Can you tell me about anything he might have been working on, or do you know any of the people he hung out with?"

"Well," she said. "Not that I have any proof or anything, but I guess I'm not terribly surprised he got himself killed."

I looked at her with my eyebrows raised. "Really?" I asked. "Why?"

"I guess his being hired in the first place was weird," she said. "I mean, I didn't even know we were going to hire someone for security around here. It's not like we have a lot of crime in the area or anything."

"Is it normal for you to be involved with the hiring?" I asked.

"Yeah, normally I put an ad in the paper and sit in on interviews when we are looking to hire someone," she replied. "I've worked here for eight years, and during that time we've only had three job postings. Dr. Perrington is really good to us, so there's not much turnover."

"So, you didn't interview people for the security job?" I asked.

"No," she said. "That's the weird part. Dr. P just came in one morning with Raymond and said that he'd hired a new security guard."

"And he hadn't mentioned looking for a security guard previously?"

"Nope."

I thought about that for a moment and took a swig of my water while Vivian continued to work on her sandwich. "Was there anything else about him that was unusual?" I asked. "What was he like?"

"He mostly kept to himself," she began. "He worked here for six months and I couldn't tell you the first thing about him; he kinda made a point to steer clear of the rest of us. Well, except for Dr. P."

My eyes shot up at her admission. If Alvarez had had a relationship with Dr. Perrington, then maybe he would know what he was into. Then again, maybe the good doctor was somehow involved with his death. "Vivian," I said softly. "Were Dr. Perrington and Raymond friends? Did it seem like they knew each other before Raymond started working here?"

Vivian looked thoughtful for a moment. "Not really, it certainly didn't seem like they knew each other before he started working here," she said. "And they didn't really act like they liked each other or hung out after work or anything. Of course, when Dr. Perrington had to work late to catch up on his patient files, Raymond always offered to stick around until he was ready to leave. Maybe there was some threat against Dr. P or something? I certainly never heard about anything like that, but I guess it's possible."

"How often would Dr. Perrington have to stay late to finish patient files?" I asked.

"You know, it used to be a couple of times a year, but lately it's been about once a month."

"Has he mentioned replacing Raymond?"

"No, but we only just found out that he died," Vivian said. "Maybe he doesn't want to be so callus and talk about replacing him yet?"

We were both silent for a moment. I couldn't tell what Vivian was thinking, but my mind was running about a mile a minute. Was Dr. Perrington involved with something that got Alvarez killed? Was there a connection between the attack on me and either of them? I took a deep breath and crumpled up the paper my sandwich had been wrapped in.

"Ask to look at his employee file," Ranger said softly. I could tell that he was trying not to startle me like he did the last time he said something.

"Do you mind if I take a look at his employee file?" I asked.

"No problem," she said.

Vivian pushed her chair back and made her way to the filing cabinet at the end of the row. She pulled open the second drawer and started leafing through the files. After a moment, she closed the drawer and proceeded to look in the drawer above and below before searching the second drawer again.

"That's weird," she said. "I can't find his file."

Before I could respond, the door opened and a man walked in wearing a stethoscope around his neck. He looked to be in his mid-fifties, had thinning grey hair and extremely bushy eyebrows. Though I was expecting a white lab coat, and not a knit sweater with khakis, I was clearly looking at the doctor. The doctor, however, was looking at a file he held while he made his way to the fridge.

"Oh, hi Dr. P!" Vivian chirped. He looked up from his file folder and smiled before he seemed to notice me sitting at the table. His eyes widened for a moment and his face seemed to pale. Vivian didn't appear to notice anything unusual and continued in the same perky attitude. "This is my friend, Stephanie."

Dr. Perrington quickly affected a smile and made his way over to me and held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Stephanie," he said. The instant his hand touched mine I felt sick to my stomach. I heard warning bells going off in my head and I'm pretty sure it wasn't Ranger's doing.

"You too," I whispered, pulling my hand out of his grasp. I stood up and stepped away from the doctor and started towards the door. Looking at Vivian I said, "I got to get going. It was good catching up."

Vivian looked surprised but easily agreed and thanked me for lunch. I made my way out of the office as quickly as I could without drawing unnecessary attention to myself.

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A/N

So, what do you all think?


	31. Chapter 31

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Hello my friends! I hope you enjoy this chapter. This is my first attempt at some lemony goodness, so I hope you'll give me some feedback on this… Too explicit? Not enough? I don't want to turn anyone off of this story by unnecessary smut. Let me know what you think. Chica.

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Somehow I had managed to suppress the desire to run away from Dr. Perrington and made a calm exit. I plastered a smile on my face and walked out of the doctor's office and into the blinding sunlight. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust well enough that I could find the Rangeman SUV that I'd arrived in, so I was completely unprepared when I felt an arm wrap around my waist from behind.

I screamed in surprise and spun around. The arm was instantly removed and a guilty-looking Junior was putting his hands up in front of himself as though trying to show that he was unarmed.

"Sorry to scare you, Steph," he said. "I just wanted to walk you back to the vehicle."

"Holy crap, Junior!" I shrieked. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Junior looked abashed and I immediately felt bad for overreacting. "It's OK, Junior. Don't worry about it." I took a deep breath and smiled at him. "Shall we go?"

Junior smiled shyly and quickly led me back to the SUV. He opened the back passenger door and I climbed in and slid over to allow him room to follow. As soon as Cal climbed into the front passenger seat, Lester put the vehicle in gear and we took off back to Rangeman.

I sat between Hal and Junior in the backseat and started removing the camera, microphone, and earbud that I had hidden on my body, handing them to Hal one at a time. The entire vehicle was eerily quiet, but even though the guys weren't saying anything I could tell that they were appraising me, watching for a reaction.

Everything had gone according to plan, but I still felt incredibly uncomfortable. It was obvious that the guys didn't know what to say but I would have expected one of them to say something. The longer the silence went on the more antsy I was getting until I was practically vibrating in my seat. By the time we reached the Rangeman parking garage, I was about ready to jump out of my skin.

The vehicle came to a stop and I followed Junior as he climbed out. When my feet hit the pavement I was quickly swept up into a pair of strong arms. Immediately, the nervous energy that had me shaking disappeared and tears started to pool in my eyes. Ranger's delicious scent, however, surrounded me in comfort as he crooned to me softly in Spanish. I clung to him as if my life depended upon it and was caught off guard when he swept my feet out from under me and he carried me towards the elevator. I pushed my face into the crook of his neck and held on to him tightly.

"We're offline for the rest of the day," Ranger said. "Bobby, send someone over to replace Ram at 1800. We'll all meet in Conference Room C at 0800 to review everything from today, so have transcripts ready from the bug Steph planted in the break room as well."

A chorus of "Yes Sir!" and "You got it, Boss" was heard before the elevator doors closed. I lifted my head and looked into Ranger's beautiful brown eyes as the first of my tears fell. He looked back into mine and then kissed me on the forehead.

"You're OK, Babe," He said.

I nodded my head and burrowed further into his neck. Before long, I felt Ranger's arms fall away from my body. Momentarily confused, I looked up to find myself perched on his lap as we sat together on his brown leather couch. The tension of the day began to leave my body with each tear that rolled silently down my cheeks. I took in a shuddering breath and wiped my face before looking into Ranger's compassion-filled eyes.

I wanted to tell him how scared I had been. How it had gone from a pleasant visit with a new friend to me actually fearing for my life. There was just something about Dr. Perrington that made my blood run cold in my veins and I couldn't explain it. More than anything, I wanted to be strong like Ranger. Unfortunately, in that moment, I had been absolutely terrified. Something inside of me was telling me that Dr. Perrington was a threat to me, and I didn't know what I should do. It was clear by the look in his face that he had recognized me from somewhere, and it was equally clear that he didn't expect to see me there. I worried that I had somehow ruined whatever element of surprise we had going for us, and I was worried for Vivian's safety.

Before I was able to express any of what I wanted to say, Ranger took my face in his hands and wiped away more of my tears with his thumbs. "You're safe here, Babe," he said.

"I was so scared," I whispered back.

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I know," he replied. "But you're safe now."

I gave him a small smile and snuggled against him again.

"I'm so proud of you," he said.

"Really?" I sniffed and leaned back to look at him. "Why?"

"Babe," he began. "You walked into a complete unknown, and managed to look wholly at ease. Not only did you manage to find out information about Alvarez, you uncovered some pretty big leads for us." He tucked an errant curl behind my ear. "When Perrington came in, it was clear that he recognized you, but you maintained your composure and got yourself out of there. Even though you were scared, you walked right out the front door and didn't draw any unnecessary attention to yourself. Babe, you demonstrated more grace under pressure than many of the men I've worked with who had actually been trained for those types of operations."

Knowing that Ranger was proud of me had my heart soaring. I realized that I wanted him to be proud of me, and to see that I could contribute to this situation, instead of just being a liability. I couldn't suppress the grin that spread across my face and it only got wider when Ranger smiled at me in return.

"Thank you, Ranger," I said. I leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, though I lingered a little longer than I had intended. Worried that I had taken things too far, I leaned back to gauge his response.

He looked at me with a question in his eyes, but only for a moment. I held my breath as he began moving towards me at an agonizingly slow pace, clearly giving me time to pull away or stop him if this wasn't what I wanted. My heart began to race and I could a feel my body heat, though whether it was from nervousness or desire, I couldn't tell.

Ranger stopped leaning in when his face was millimeters away from me, and I knew that he was asking. I quickly closed the gap between us until there was nothing separating his lips from mine. His head tilted slightly to the side so that we could get even closer and his tongue sought out my own. We were battling for dominance when his arms wrapped around my back and he gently pulled me to his chest. His heartbeat was racing almost as much as mine and when his kisses started to move down my neck and across my collar bone, I moaned.

I felt Ranger's lips leave me and I whined in protest. He chuckled before his hands began to tug on the bottom of my shirt. I leaned forward so that he could pull it over my head, exposing my light-weight bullet-proof vest. It never ceased to amaze me how quickly I could forget that I was wearing one… they were pretty comfortable. Soon the vest was gone, leaving me in a thin tank top, which I hastily removed.

As soon as Ranger saw me in my lacy black bra, he jumped up from the couch, and in one fluid motion he had his hands on my ass and my legs wrapped around his waist. We made our way down the hall to the bedroom, wrapped around each other, and locked once again at the lips. Ranger supported my weight with one hand as the other pulled back the comforter on the bed. He laid me down gently in the middle of the Egyptian cotton sheets and stood back to kick his boots off.

Ranger pulled off my shoes and joined me on the bed. He was leaning over me, holding his body weight on his forearms while placing kisses all over my face and neck. My heart was racing and I was simultaneously nervous and excited. I knew that I wasn't a virgin, but I also had no real memory of being intimate with anyone and I was a little worried that I would do something wrong, or just not do something I should.

As if he could read my mind, Ranger told me to relax and said, "We're going to do this, Babe. It's going to be good."

I don't know if it was what he said or just the way he said it, but I felt my inhibitions melting away as my excitement grew. His beautiful brown eyes were darker than I'd ever seen and I knew the desire I saw in them matched my own.

"You're so beautiful, Babe," he said softly.

I ran my hands over his chest, lingering on his sculpted muscles. "You're the beautiful one," I replied.

I couldn't wait to feel his skin against mine. I was pulling his skin-tight t-shirt from his cargo pants so that I could run my hands along his perfectly defined abs. Ranger accommodated me and sat back on his heels so that I could pull his shirt over his head. His lips were back on my neck as soon as his shirt hit the floor.

He reached behind me to snap the straps on my bra. I smiled at him as I lifted my arms so he could slide my bra off my shoulders, and soon it joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor. His hot hands were working my nipples and I moaned and arched my back. Ranger replaced his right hand with his mouth and he started licking and sucking on my nipple. His other hand remained on my right breast, where he continued to roll my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. I was in sensation overload but I couldn't wait to feel all of him.

Ranger's hot mouth took possession of my right breast as he continued his ministrations with his hand on my left. I was starting to feel a tingle south of the boarder where my panties were getting more damp by the minute. I ran my hand down Ranger's torso and began stroking him through his pants.

He pulled away from my hands. "Not yet, Babe," he said with a smile in his voice.

I pouted and tried to protest but he removed his mouth from my breast, working his way south, and I lost all focus. His tongue was flicking in and out of my belly button and continuing further south until his hot breath was blowing over my core. "Please," I begged. Ranger smiled again as his fingers slowly unbuttoned my pants and pulled down my zipper. His fingers curled underneath the waistband of my pants and panties. Without hesitation, I lifted my hips, encouraging him to pull them down my legs, and he didn't disappoint.

A low growl emanated from Ranger as he looked me over in all my naked glory. There was no denying his reaction to seeing me. His cargo pants were straining so much that I thought his zipper would bust. I reached for him again, but Ranger just shook his head and began kissing my belly button again. His kisses made their way down one leg as his hands massaged my calves. He worked down one leg and up the other until I was practically vibrating with need and his mouth was once again hovering over my sex.

"I love you, Babe," Ranger said reverently. I looked at his face and saw the sincerity of his feelings and I was warmed to the depths of my soul. Our eyes remained locked on one another as his tongue finally moved where I wanted it the most. I gasped as he licked me from my core to my clit.

"Oh, God, yes!" I cried. My legs opened wider in encouragement and Ranger wasted no time throwing them over his shoulders as he continued to work me into a fevered pitch.

I couldn't remember ever feeling this much. Obviously, the sensations that Ranger was able to pull from me were incredible, but it was more than that. There was a connection between us now that wasn't there before. This was more than just sex; it was emotional, spiritual even. I couldn't imagine feeling a bond like this with anyone else, and I hoped he was feeling it, too.

I was on the cusp, my hands twisting in the sheets as I writhed on the bed. I was panting and started moaning as I neared climax, "don't stop… I'm… I'm gonna…yes!"

"Ranger!" I screamed.

My body felt like jelly as I lay on the bed recovering from the mother of all orgasms. I picked my head up to look at Ranger while he began kissing his way back up my body. "That was amazing," I whispered.

Ranger looked at me with heat in his eyes and a smile that could light up a whole room. "We're just getting started," he said.

The anticipation was making me wet again and I reached for him. I couldn't help pleading again, "please."

"Please what, Babe?" he asked.

"Please let me touch you," I sighed.

Without another word Ranger pulled himself up my body until his forearms were straddling either side of my head, his legs now straddling mine. Our eyes were locked together as his hands began to touch the side of my face and his fingers ran through my hair. He lowered his torso onto me slowly, still keeping the bulk of his weight on his arms. I could feel his hard length against my thigh and my mouth watered.

Reaching my hand down, I began stroking him through his cargo pants. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. I couldn't bear for him to be so confined and I really wanted to see all of him. I worked my other hand down his body and unfastened his belt. His button and fly were undone next, and then he lifted his hips so that I could push his cargos down his legs. Once they were beyond my reach, Ranger quickly removed them completely and rolled us so that I was now lying on top of him.

I straddled his legs and sat up so I could take in the full view of his manhood. I reached out a tentative hand to touch it and Ranger moaned. The apprehension I had started to feel at first seeing his enormous length started to disappear as I realized the power I had over him at this moment. He was completely vulnerable and trusting in me, so I would trust in him and stop worrying about the logistics of us getting together.

My strokes became less hesitant and more confident as I moved my hand up and down his shaft, applying a little pressure on the way. Ranger's head was back on the pillow and his mouth was open as he moaned. "Yeah Babe, that feels so good."

Encouraged by his response, I repositioned myself between his legs so I could lean forward and lick him from base to tip. I was surprised by how he twitched and seemed to grow even more intimidating with my attentions. My excitement level was growing in equal measure and instead of just wondering what it would be like to take him in my mouth, I moved his shaft between my lips, working my way down his length as much as I could manage. He was so large that even with my hand wrapped around the base my lips didn't reach my fingers. As Ranger moaned with praise, I allowed my hand to travel his length in time with my mouth and I moved up and down his member. I began sucking on the upstroke and his whole body shuddered.

"Wait, Babe," he whispered. "I won't be able to last like this. I need to be inside you." It wasn't a question but something in the way he said it made it sound so much like a plea that I couldn't help but nod in agreement.

The heat in his eyes stirred a passion in me that had me climbing up his body and claiming his lips once more. He flipped us over so that he was once again pinning me to the mattress, only this time he quickly reached between us to run his fingers along my wet folds. I felt him rubbing his shaft along the path his fingers just took and arched my back when he positioned himself at my entrance.

"Yes," I moaned in anticipation. He slipped inside me and stilled when our hips met. It was the most amazing feeling. All my fears about his being too large to fit comfortably had gone out the window and all I could think about was how incredibly right this was. Like I finally knew where I belonged. When he began to move inside me and established a steady rhythm, I was so overwhelmed in the sensations that I lost all coherent thought.

In my moment of ecstasy, I screamed out his name and a minute later Ranger joined me with a release of his own. He stilled for a moment before flopping onto his back and pulling me to his side. Ranger slowly ran his fingers up and down my arm as we recovered from our high. I couldn't imagine a feeling of greater peace or satisfaction, and I knew that no matter what the future had in store for me, I could face it if he were by my side. Suddenly, I realized that what I was feeling was much more than a simple attraction to the man who had been my hero for as long as I could remember. I smiled and tilted my head to look up at him.

"I love you, Ranger," I declared without reservation.

"I love you too," he replied. He placed a kiss on my forehead and pulled the comforter around our entwined bodies. "Sleep, Babe."

I tried to fight the exhaustion and just bask in the glow of our love, but the gentle slowing of Ranger's heartbeat had me dozing in minutes. It didn't seem like I'd been sleeping long before a memory came back to me and I sat up quickly, finding myself alone and crying in Ranger's bed.


	32. Chapter 32

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Whew, this was a tough chapter for me to write, so I hope you all like it. It might seem a little overly emotional, but these things just had to be said before our couple could move forward together. As always, I appreciate the reviews, so keep them coming! Thanks, Chica.

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I wiped my eyes and looked at the alarm clock beside the bed. It read 5:36 am, so Ranger was probably in the gym downstairs. Normally I would go back to bed at this hour, but with the upsetting dream still on my mind, I didn't think I'd be able to sleep, and I really wanted to see Ranger.

Having decided to head to the gym myself, I tossed the covers back and made my way to the bathroom to answer Nature's call. When I stood at the sink washing my hands I happened to catch my reflection in the mirror. My hair looked like a rat's nest, but my eyes were bright, despite the puffiness from my recent tears. There really was no hiding the satisfied glow of a thoroughly loved woman. So even though I would likely need a shower after the gym, I thought it best to freshen up before seeing any of the other guys in my current state.

After a speedy shower, I brushed my hair and teeth and headed into the walk-in closet. I quickly found suitable workout wear, pulled my hair into a pony tail, and was on my way downstairs.

Hoping to sneak into the gym unobserved, I opened the door as quietly as possible. The door made no noise to alert anyone of my entrance but as I walked through the doorway, it slipped from my fingers and slammed shut behind me. The noise echoed in the large space and every eye in the room was instantly on me. Not seeing the pair of eyes I wanted, I lowered my gaze and headed to the treadmill I had used a few days ago.

"Babe, what are you doing up so early?" I heard from behind me.

I was startled by Ranger's proximity; somehow I hadn't seen him when I came in. I turned around and looked up into his gorgeous face and returned his smile. "Good morning," I said. "I woke up alone and couldn't wait to see you." Despite the sweat covering Ranger's body, I was incredibly happy when he pulled me against his chest and kissed the top of my head.

We held each other for only a moment before he said, "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you too, Babe." He leaned down conspiratorially and whispered, "It was very difficult to leave you lying naked in my bed. Had I known you were going to be awake so early, I would have just worked out with you upstairs."

He gave me a panty-melting smile and I blushed. Since his face was already at my level, he captured my mouth in a big kiss, with lots of tongue. When he pulled away I was breathless and disoriented. It took me a minute to realize that we were no longer alone and that I was, in fact, being addressed by Bobby.

I shook my head to clear it and responded, "I'm sorry, what?"

Bobby grinned and answered, "I asked how you were feeling this morning, but by the looks of you, you aren't feeling any pain."

I blushed and took in Ranger's smug expression before lowering my eyes and inspecting my shoes. "I'm good, Bobby. Thanks."

"Well, since you're determined to ignore all my excellent medical advice," Bobby began. "I'll just encourage you to take it easy. You're still recovering and it wouldn't do you any good to push yourself too hard."

After assuring Bobby that I wouldn't over-exert myself and that I would let him know immediately if I experienced any pain or discomfort, Ranger led me to the row of treadmills. I climbed onto the machine next to Ram and Ranger leaned over to enter my speed and duration. I scoffed at the two miles per hour he dictated but didn't argue. To my surprise, Ranger climbed onto the machine to my right and started running at a speed I was sure I wouldn't have been able to achieve, even if I hadn't been on the disabled list.

"You OK, Steph?" Ram asked from my left.

To my embarrassment, I realized that I had been practically drooling while I watched Ranger running in his basketball shorts and no shirt. _My God he's hot_!

I was still looking at Ranger when I heard Ram start to laugh. Ranger locked eyes with me and smirked. Realizing that I must have spoken out loud, I blushed and dropped my eyes back to my control panel. It still surprised me that a fully-functioning, adult member of society, would have so much trouble regulating her internal thoughts, but what can I do?

When the timer on my treadmill indicated that I'd walked for 30 minutes, it shut off. I guess there isn't a cool-down period when you're walking as slow as molasses. Ranger finished running a couple minutes later and together we returned to his apartment. As amazing as Ranger looks when his muscles are all pumped up and his skin is glistening, I was proud of my ability to control myself long enough to shower alone. Though I had no doubt that he was every bit as "good in the shower" as he promised, the truth was that I was more than a little sore from our escapades last night. Ranger had been wonderfully gentle with me, but my body was still recovering from my injuries and though I hadn't hurt at the time, I was really feeling the tenderness around my ribs this morning. Knowing Ranger as I did, I didn't want him to feel guilt over what I consider the most amazing night of my life (at least what I can remember of it), or to prevent future such evenings in the short term.

After my shower, I dressed in a pair of black leggings and a blue tunic-style sweater then headed into the kitchen to see if Ranger had started the coffee maker. _Bless that man_ , I thought to myself as I poured a cup of coffee. Before I'd even had my first sip, there was a knock at the front door. I looked towards the bedroom but could still hear the shower running so I set my cup down on the counter and answered the door.

"Hello, Dear!" Ella greeted. She had her little room service cart behind her, sporting two covered plates and a pitcher of orange juice.

"Good morning, Ella!" I cheerfully replied. I held open the door for her and followed her cart into the kitchen. She unloaded the plates onto the breakfast bar while I put the juice on the counter by the coffee maker. "Ooh, what did you bring us today?" I lifted the dome off each of the plates and started cheering, "Yes!"

I started feeling the strangest tingling in the back of my neck just before Ranger joined us in the kitchen. I was rubbing my neck when Ranger wrapped an arm around my waist and planted a kiss on my temple. "You OK, Babe?" He asked.

He smelled so amazing that I allowed myself a moment to lean into him and soak up as much of the comfort that his smell and his arms provided.

"Babe?" He said again, with a slightly worried undertone.

"Sorry!" I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "I'm more than OK; look what Ella made for me!" I pointed to the fluffy waffle, covered in strawberries, whipped cream, and maple syrup. My smile couldn't get much bigger as I pointed at the other plate. The bagel with lox and cream cheese and cup of fruit didn't look anywhere near as appetizing. "That one's yours!" I demanded. Ranger and Ella just grinned at me.

I pulled away from Ranger in order to hug Ella and give her my thanks. "It's my pleasure, Dear," she said. "Perhaps you would like to help me prepare dinner this evening?"

"That would be great!" I exclaimed. I had not forgotten her promise to give me cooking lessons and I was eager to start. Turning around I saw Ranger pouring a cup of juice and had a momentary feeling of panic. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ranger, I should have checked with you first. Do you already have plans for us tonight?"

Ranger smiled and walked over to where I stood with Ella, pulling me into a small hug before kissing the top of my head. "I think it's an excellent idea," he said. "And I'll even volunteer to be your guinea pig and eat whatever you prepare."

"Rex!" I cried. "I forgot about Rex! He must be so hungry!" In truth, I couldn't remember the last time I'd fed him and I felt absolutely terrible about his neglect. And yes, I know he is a hamster, not a guinea pig, but it reminded me of him all the same. I'd made my way to his cage on the end of the counter and stared at it in wonder. He had a dish full of food, a bottle full of water and clean bedding. It was clear that someone had been taking care of him, and it hadn't been me.

"It's OK, Stephanie," Ella said from behind me. "I like getting a chance to take care of the little guy. We don't have any other pets in the building, and he likes me."

I nodded. "Thank you, Ella," I whispered, without turning around.

"It's my pleasure, Dear. Now you two sit down and eat before your breakfasts get cold." She started pushing her cart towards the door. "Just leave the dishes; I'll take care of those later. And Stephanie, I'll see you at 5:00." Without waiting for a reply, Ella slipped out the front door.

I continued to stare at Rex while my mind began to wander. Somehow I'd been able to completely forget my little friend in all the excitement of the past couple of days. If it hadn't been for Ella, he would probably be dead right now, and it would be my fault. He deserved better than that. If I can't even take care of a hamster, how could I possibly be a good girlfriend to Ranger? What kind of future could we possibly have? My mind was heading down a very dark and lonely road when I felt hands on my shoulders.

"Rex is fine, Babe," he said. "It's OK to rely on your friends to help you."

Ranger guided me to sit on a barstool at the counter and slid onto the seat beside me. "I know that," I said quietly. "But I didn't just forget to feed Rex; it never even occurred to me! How can I possibly think we could build something together if I could be so negligent? Why would you even want to try?" I hid my face in my hands as I began crying in earnest. Wailing through my tears I cried out, "You're just going to send me away again, and I can't even blame you!" All the feelings from this morning were coming back with a vengeance.

"Again?" he asked. Ranger spun my stool around so I was facing his, pulled my hands from my face, and held them between both of his in his lap. I kept my eyes closed and my chin down. "Stephanie, look at me." I shook my head and sniffled. He released my hands and moved his to either side of my face, lifting my head towards him. I stubbornly kept my eyes closed. "Please," he whispered.

I opened my eyes and was surprised to see, not anger or frustration in his expression, but flashes of pain and something else… guilt? He certainly didn't have anything to feel guilty about, I was the liability here. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Ranger dropped his hands from my face and before I knew what he was about, he picked me up, carried me to the couch, and settled me on his lap. "Babe," he began. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, but we do have a couple of things to discuss." He looked at me and I nodded mutely.

"First, it is perfectly normal to forget things. People do it all the time, and most of them don't have a doctor telling them that temporary memory lapses are common with head injuries." My hands were now entwined with his as we sat there looking into one another's eyes. "And second, you need to tell me why you think I would ever want to let you go."

I started to look away but Ranger brought my face back. "No," he said softly. "Don't look away from me; tell me what you're thinking."

My heart was pounding in my chest and my mind was going in every direction at once. I was afraid to admit my fears out loud because the minute he confirmed them, my heart would more than break. It would shatter into so many pieces I'd never get it put back together again.

"I woke up this morning with a memory," I said slowly. Ranger nodded at me to continue but didn't interrupt. "It was a little choppy so there are undoubtedly some details that I haven't remembered yet, but the first part was the same memory I'd had a few days ago with you and me in my apartment, when you were whispering to me in Spanish." I blushed at the remembered intimacy and took another deep breath.

"The next part of the memory seemed to occur the next day," I continued. "I was asking for too many details, I guess, about what you were doing or where you were going because you were mad that I was grilling you, so I said that it wasn't going to work." I started to cry again, but it wasn't a major waterworks show and there was no sobbing. I tried to pull myself together so I could get through this before I lost all nerve. "You agreed with me and said that I needed to repair my relationship with Morelli. All this time I was thinking that that memory was special. That it was the beginning of something between us, but it wasn't. All those pretty words didn't really mean anything. When reality dawned the next day, you sent me away. You told me to go back to a man, who recently told me we broke up only three months ago. By my calculations, you and I we were having sex while I was still in a relationship with Joe, so on top of everything else, I'm unfaithful!"

The comfort I usually found in Ranger's embrace was missing in my current state of anxiety, so I tried to remove myself to the other side of the couch. Unfortunately, Ranger wasn't willing to let me go and he tightened his hold around waist. The additional squeezing was actually starting to hurt so I looked up ready to yell at him and my words stuck in my throat. He looked absolutely miserable.

"Babe, please," he whispered. "Don't go anywhere. I need to explain, but please, just let me hold you."

"You don't need to explain anything," I said in reply. "I'm a big girl, I get it."

"No, you don't get it, that's the problem." He relaxed his hold on me and ran his fingers through his hair. "First off, I'm never letting you go, so you can forget that idea right now." My mouth dropped open and I stared at him a little bewildered but he continued before I could comment. "Secondly, the night you remember was the first time we were ever together, and it did mean a lot to me, to both of us." I started shaking my head back and forth in protest, but he ignored my attempt to comment. "I love you, Stephanie. I have for a long time, but that doesn't change the fact that there were some significant hurdles in our path to happily ever after."

"Like what?" I sniffed.

"Like the fact that you and Morelli were playing the on-again, off-again couple for the better part of three years," he said. I scrunched my eyebrows together while I tried to understand what he was telling me. "You two were a wrong fit right from the start. Fundamentally, you wanted completely different things in life, but you'd grown up together and were comforted by the familiar. You and Morelli would fight and break up and then you'd be much more interested in flirting with me. And God help me Stephanie, I wanted you. Eventually I convinced myself that the risks to your safety were not any greater with having me in your life than they were without, and I'd start to think more seriously about a possible future with you. Every time though, before I'd have the balls to do anything about it, you'd be back with Morelli and I'd be left chastising myself for even thinking about putting you in danger.

"The first time we were together, even though you'd broken up with Morelli, I knew you weren't done for good. I'd convinced myself that after a night with you, I'd get you out of my system and I could get over all the feelings I desperately wanted to ignore." He chuckled humorlessly to himself. "It didn't work, but we weren't ready for each other back then either. We're ready now, Babe. So unless you send me away, I'm never letting you go."

My eyes were once again filling with tears, but this time they were happy-tears. I smiled up at Ranger and tentatively kissed him on the lips. He responded but quickly pulled away before cradling my cheek in his hand. "I love you, Babe."

"I love you, too."

We held each other close for several minutes. Ranger's hands were rubbing soothing circles on my back while I just breathed him in. Soon enough, my stomach decided that it had been ignored too long and let out a ferocious growl. "Time to feed the beast, Babe," he said. I pulled away from his embrace and we locked eyes. "Are we OK?"

I smiled sweetly and nodded my head. "Yes, we're OK. I'm sorry for freaking out on you."

Ranger placed his index finger across my lips to silence me. "Don't be sorry, Babe. I don't want you to feel like you can't share what's on your mind with me. You are the most important thing in my life and I'll always be here for you, no matter what. Please don't doubt that." We looked at each other for only a moment before my stomach growled again. We smiled at one another before getting off of the couch and heading back into the kitchen for our considerably cooler breakfast.


	33. Chapter 33

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

OK, this is a short chapter. I wasn't sure what my schedule was going to be like for the next few weeks, so I wanted to get at least this much out. Hopefully the rest will be following shortly. Thanks so much for all your support and excellent reviews! You guys Rock! Chica.

* * *

Ranger led me into the conference room just before 8:00am and escorted me to the seat to the right of his own. After we were both seated, he pulled my chair to his and took hold of my hand. I couldn't help smiling at him. Despite the emotional rollercoaster I'd been on that morning, I felt only light-hearted and happy now. Ranger was in love with me, was devoted to me, and I was excited to admit that I was in love with him, too. With so many parts of my life in confusion, it was nice to have something solid that I could count on. Ranger would smile whenever he looked at me too, which was often, but I'm guessing it was abnormal behavior for him because it really seemed to freak out some of the guys.

Ranger and I were locked in another visual embrace when a throat cleared, causing us to break eye contact and look up. At the other end of the table sat Tank, who was smirking behind his hand, having succeeded in getting our attention. Ranger's blank face came down as he looked around the table and began the meeting. "I've asked Morelli to be here this morning to relay the findings of the TPD," Ranger began. "We need to exchange information to determine our next course of action."

Until that point, I hadn't even realized that Joe was in the room. I had been so distracted with Ranger and our newly found happiness, that I had momentarily forgotten the importance of this meeting. Looking around the room now, I realized that the room was packed with the guys that I'd come to think of as 'my guys.' These men had been acting as my body guards or were those that had set up shop in this very conference room to take a more active role in my case. My guys consisted of Ranger, Tank, Ram, Cal, Hal, Lester, Hector, Junior, Bobby, Vince, Woody, Zero, and Rodriguez. And while I wouldn't group Joe into that category, I knew that he, too, was here to do whatever he could to bring this case to a close. I smiled at all the guys around the table and focused my attention again on Ranger.

"Junior," he continued. "Where do we stand with identifying the second attacker at the hospital?" Hector began typing on his laptop at this point and within moments, the large flat-panel television on the wall displayed a still-screen image of the man I'd begun thinking of as Bronco Man; his picture had obviously been taken from the pharmacy security camera.

"Unfortunately, we've hit a blank wall on his identity," Junior replied solemnly. "We have a picture but struck out with facial recognition software, so we've been looking through descriptions on several national databases. No luck yet, but we're still working through them. We also struck out with pulling any viable prints from either the hospital pharmacy or kitchen." He looked up from his notes before continuing. "As you know, Steph identified this man as the Bronco driver who shot at her and ran her into the Delaware River. Since he was able to get away from that attack in order to poison her food, and his location is still unknown, we consider him an active threat and finding him a top priority."

Every eye in the room looked nervously at Ranger. It was clear, even to me, that he wasn't used to being dissatisfied with his team or their results. I was really hoping he wasn't about to give Junior a hard time. Instead, he nodded and looked down at the folder in front of him for a moment. "Cal," he said. "Any more information on Javier Acosta?"

Cal shook his head. "No. We know virtually nothing about the 'wanna-be doctor who thought he could fly', except that he was involved with Eduardo Mendez's organization in Venezuela six months ago. We don't have any intel more recent than that, so it's possible that he has branched off on his own, or that he's working with someone else at this point. Of course, it's also possible that he is still one of Mendez's goons; we just don't have the information at this point."

Ranger closed the file before him in frustration. "I'm sorry," Cal added quickly. "We all know this is important, and none of us is giving up until we have some answers."

"I know that," Ranger said kindly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let me know when you find more information." Cal nodded his head quickly in agreement.

After taking a deep breath and exhaling, Ranger looked around the conference room. "Before we proceed into the details surrounding yesterday's outing, I believe it's time to hear from the TPD." Everyone looked to Joe in anticipation. "Have you made any progress with tracking a link between the registered owner of the Bronco and the man who stole it?"

"We canvassed the neighborhood looking for anyone who knew that Tucker, the registered owner, was out of town," Joe began. "Most of his neighbors didn't know him well enough to know about his work schedule. Seems they're more the 'wave at a familiar face' kind of neighborhood, rather than the 'who's truck was parked in front of your house last night?' type of neighborhood." I smirked at Joe's description of the neighbors. It sounded like he was referring to the Burg in the latter part of his explanation, at least by Ranger's portrayal of the place in which I grew up.

"At the same time we spoke with Tucker's neighbors, we determined that he had, in fact, placed a hold on his mail with the post office," Joe continued. "While we can't confirm who processed his request, or who may have seen it there, we have ascertained that one of the postal workers is a single woman who lives directly across the street from Tucker. Unfortunately, she was one of the people who claimed not to know Tucker or that he was out of town."

I was frustrated with the apparent complacency of the TPD. "And you're just going to take her word for it?" I asked incredulously.

Joe just smirked at me. "No, Steph, we're going to follow her and put a tap on her phone."

"Oh," I replied sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Don't sweat it," Joe said. "Even though she may be telling the truth, and in no way connected to the Bronco driver, we're going to operate as if she's our only lead… because right now, she is."

"Why don't you just search her house and see if he's there?" I asked.

"It may come to that," Joe continued. "But if we jump the gun and don't find any evidence of him, we'll have lost the element of surprise. We may not get another chance to grab him if she tips him off, so we're going to watch her first to see if she leads us to him."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Thanks Joe."

"Do you have any more details on Raymond Alvarez?" Lester asked him.

"Your files are probably as complete as ours since he was Steph's skip," Joe began. "But I do have the completed report from the ME's office." He flipped open a file folder in front of him and began sifting through the papers until he found the sheet he was looking for. He scanned over the details again before looking up to address the room. When he made eye contact with me, he seemed to reconsider what he was going to say and addressed Ranger instead. "Some of the details are a bit detailed, are you sure you want everyone to hear this?" Joe had been talking to Ranger, but he was looking at me.

I responded before Ranger had a chance. "I may not want to hear it Joe, but I need to know." I looked over to Ranger and could see the deliberation in his eyes. "Please, Ranger, this is my life and I deserve to know what we're up against."

"You sure?" he asked me.

I nodded. "I'm sure."

Ranger looked to Joe and nodded for him to proceed.

"Alvarez's body was found on Tuesday in an old fishing warehouse near the harbor," Joe said. "It was clear that hadn't been killed there, but rather dumped in that location after his death. He'd been shot in the head at close range and based on the angle of trajectory, it appears that he was on his knees at the time." He paused to gauge my response. I nodded slightly, encouraging him to continue. "The ME puts his time of death as between six and eight pm, exactly two weeks prior."

Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room changed. Everyone around the table seemed to sit up straighter and look at one another as though Joe had just told them something critical. I didn't understand what the surprise was here… I mean, we already knew that Alvarez had been killed the same day as my attack and that he'd been executed. The running theory was that I'd stumbled upon the crime on my way to visit Vivian and that's why Bronco Man tried to kill me. Joe looked around the room and seemed to be as in the dark as I was. "What did I miss?" he asked.

All eyes turned to Ranger so that he could explain to Joe and me what seemed to be glaringly obvious to everyone else. "We'd been operating under the assumption that Steph inadvertently witnessed Alvarez's murder, and that's why she was targeted," Ranger said. I nodded at him. "Although the day of both incidents is the same, the time tables don't add up." He looked at me and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Babe, you called me from your car at a quarter after two. Alvarez didn't die for another four to six hours. You couldn't have walked in on his murder."


	34. Chapter 34

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

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A/N

Hello again! It's been a few weeks since my last chapter was posted, so I hope this story is still keeping someone interested. It warms my heart that there have been so many people willing to give me their opinions on my writing and on this story in particular, so please let me know what you think, and if you're still with me. Thanks so much! Chica.

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _All eyes seemed turned to Ranger so that he could explain to Joe and me what seemed to be glaringly obvious to everyone else. "We'd been operating under the assumption that Steph inadvertently witnessed Alvarez's murder, and that's why she was targeted," Ranger said. I nodded at him. "Although the day of both incidents is the same, the time tables don't add up." He looked at me and squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Babe, you called me from your car at a quarter after two. Alvarez didn't die for another four to six hours. You couldn't have walked in on his murder."_

"So, what does that mean?" I asked.

"It means that we're back to having no idea why you were attacked in the first place," Ranger responded. He ran his hand down his face and scratched his chin in contemplation.

"I thought you already determined that Mendez was behind this," Joe scoffed. "It seems to me that you've all but proven his involvement and his motivation in trying to kill Stephanie. What made you change your mind, or are you just unwilling to admit that your actions have once again put her at risk?"

My mouth popped open in shock at Joe's blatant hostility. I had certainly gotten the impression that there was some pre-existing animosity between these two, but I thought they'd gotten over it. Joe coming to the restaurant to tell Ranger about Alvarez proved that, right? And what was Joe talking about when he said that Ranger's actions had put me at risk _again_? Had something like this happened before? Has my life always been as fraught with life and death situations as it seemed to be now? How could I live with this kind of stress on a regular basis?

"We haven't ruled out any possibilities," Ranger grumbled. "But beyond Javier Acosta being a known associate, we have nothing to tie these attacks to Mendez."

Ranger stepped away from the table and walked to the window at the side of the room. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a moment and I wondered if that was his way of ending the meeting. Should we all leave? Should I approach him? I looked around the conference room table at my guys and saw that their expressions resembled the confusion and indecision that I knew to be flying across my own face. I placed my hands onto the armrests of my chair in preparation to stand when Ranger started talking again.

"The government work we do is highly classified," he began. "Beyond the team sent out on the mission, there are literally only a handful of people that know the specifics of each assignment or the people involved." Ranger turned away from the window to face us again. He had everyone's attention, and while Joe still looked irritated, he also looked as if he was giving what Ranger said a lot of consideration. "Each and every member of my team is a man that I would, that I have, trusted with my life. They're good men, and good at what they do. There's no way that any of them would have had any involvement with Mendez beyond our mission objective."

"What about your handler or whomever you report to?" Joe asked. His tone was thoughtful; he was back in cop mode now instead of being combative. "How can you be sure that there wasn't a breach on that end?"

"I can't," Ranger said. "But there hasn't been a change of the guard, so to speak, in more than a decade. These men have proven themselves to us and I just can't see an upside to their selling us out."

"How about a boat load of money?" Joe replied under his breath.

Even though Joe's question was obviously sarcastic, Ranger answered it anyway. "Their department is heavily funded and each of their incomes are high enough to deter any type of transgression, not to mention the death sentence they'd be facing if discovered. The agencies we work for wouldn't exactly file charges against someone who sold them out; they'd just make sure they disappeared. And someone would have to be an idiot to believe that there would be any place in the world safe enough for them to hide, if they betrayed me." Ranger turned his back to us again as he gazed out the window. "I have to believe that Mendez doesn't know about my participation in shutting down his operation, and that Acosta's involvement was a coincidence."

The room had gone silent. Everyone appeared to be thinking over what Ranger had said, but no one knew how to respond, or if they should. It was obvious to me that Ranger was hoping that his assumption was right and that no one had tipped Mendez off to his involvement. Trust would be such a fundamental part of that type of work that a breach would be catastrophic. After all, why would someone knowingly put their life into the hands of people they couldn't trust?

Given the information in front of us, I couldn't help but think that we were all missing something. If I could just find it, then we could prove Ranger's assumption correct and set his mind at ease.

No one had said anything for a couple of minutes and I was beginning to get twitchy. Finally, Joe broke the silence and fixed his gaze on Tank. "On the phone you mentioned some information you came across yesterday? An operation of some sort?"

My mind immediately flew to yesterday's encounter and I started to shake. I forced myself to close my eyes and took a deep breath to regain my composure. "Dr. Perrington," I said quietly. The memory of his steely eyes on mine made my heart race and my stomach roll. Suddenly the feeling that we were missing something disappeared. This was the lead we had to follow; I could feel it in every fiber of my being.

* * *

"Stephanie?"

"Huh?" I replied.

"You've been staring into the fridge for a couple of minutes now; did you forget what you were looking for?"

I rubbed my eyes to clear the fog and suddenly realized how cold it was standing in front of the refrigerator. When my eyes came back into focus, I grabbed the carton of eggs and returned to the counter. "Sorry, Ella," I said, setting down the eggs. "I guess I just got lost in my thoughts." Once my hands were free, I held myself around the middle in an effort to warm up a bit.

Ella wrapped an arm around me and squeezed my shoulder gently. "It's OK, Dear," she said. "Want to talk about it?"

Despite my unfortunate relationship with my actual parents, I was blessed to have a more than adequate substitute in Ella. Somehow I knew that her concern for me was genuine and that she would be someone I could feel comfortable confiding in. "I don't know," I began. "I guess I'm just feeling a little stressed out." She nodded in encouragement. "After our meeting this morning, it seems like we're close to figuring out who is after me and why, but I'm worried about what it's going to take to resolve everything. I feel like I'm putting all the guys in danger by just being here, not to mention that they're out investigating on my behalf and putting themselves in harm's way to do it."

Ella patted my back in a reassuring way and smiled at me sincerely. "Now you may not remember everything about those boys," she said. "But I'm sure you've figured out already that you can't stop them from doing everything in their power to protect you. They love you." I acknowledged her comment with a nod and a grin. "And, luckily enough, they have the skills to protect you while staying safe themselves."

I knew she was right. In the little amount of time I'd spent with my guys, I knew them to be a formidable group. They are smart and strong and I'm lucky to have them looking out for me. It doesn't make me feel any less responsible for the risks they face on my behalf, but I certainly have to agree that they are well qualified for the task.

"Now," Ella said. "Let's finish this custard so we can let it set in the fridge while you tell me what you found out today?"

"Sure," I replied. I cracked a few eggs and told Ella about the meeting we'd had several hours prior.

" _Who's Dr. Perrington?" Joe asked._

" _He's the doctor that Alvarez worked for," Junior replied from the seat beside me._

 _I kept my hands in my lap to hide the slight tremor I'd picked up at the mention of Dr. Perrington. Junior gave my knee a squeeze from the seat beside me. Whether he noticed my nerves or just suspected them based upon my reaction yesterday, he was quick to offer whatever comfort he could, and I appreciated it._

 _Ranger, however, didn't appear to appreciate the gesture at all, judging by the low growl coming from across the room. In the blink of an eye he was seated again in the seat beside mine, and I was being pulled into his lap. The look in his eyes was a clear challenge to anyone in the room. He was staking his claim and I couldn't help but giggle at his possessiveness. A couple of the guys were grinning, but most were intimidated enough to keep their expressions neutral._

 _My hands sought his and I leaned into his chest. Ranger seemed to be soothed by my proximity and the tension in the room was diminishing as a result. Tank took over for Junior and filled Joe in on our 'op' yesterday. Joe started to protest my involvement initially, but even before everyone around the table glared at him, I was defending not only my ability to be involved with my own case, but the ability of my guys to ensure I was protected. He wisely shut his mouth after that._

" _What happened after we left?" I asked. "Did the bug pick up anything interesting?"_

" _As a matter of fact, Little Girl," Tank replied. "It did." We were all waiting with baited breath for him to continue but he waited another moment just to irritate us, I guess. He smiled to himself before continuing. "Hector and Lester transcribed the two conversations that were recorded after we left yesterday." He gestured his head in what could be considered an 'almost nod' and Hector put the transcription on the screen._

 _Lester then gave a summary of the first conversation that had been recorded. Apparently, it began the moment I left the break room. He told us that Dr. Perrington had questioned Vivian as to why I had been there and how we knew each other. She had explained my interest in Alvarez, our history, and then she mentioned that she couldn't find his employment file. According to Lester, it had sounded like Dr. Perrington was struggling to remain calm when he told Vivian that the police had taken the file when they had discovered his identity. Although Vivian appeared to think that was perfectly logical, Joe informed us that the police wouldn't have had a need to take his file. He said he would check with TPD, but he thought it unlikely. Lester acknowledged that the doctor's voice was strained as though he were stressed and that he was in all likelihood, lying._

 _After that, Dr. Perrington suggested that Vivian return to work and there was no further conversation until just before six o'clock. Hector clicked over to the next conversation, which appeared to be one side of a telephone conversation. The identity of the other person was unknown but the conversation left little doubt as the good doctor's involvement in the attempts on my life, and his possible involvement in Alvarez's death as well._

 _Dr. Perrington told the caller about my visit. He was angry and said that he had been assured the problem was taken care of and that no one was supposed to be able to tie anything to him or his office. He went on to say that if he had to take care of the situation himself, he would be expecting a larger cut. The conversation ended after that and the room was silent as we all thought about what we'd just heard._

"After a couple of minutes with everyone staring at me, I stood up to leave," I told her. "I wasn't sure what our next move was, but I just needed a little air."

"That's certainly understandable," Ella replied.

She had taken hold of my hand at some point during the retelling and she was looking at me with such compassion in her eyes that I couldn't help but smile at her. Honestly, it was a bit of a relief to tell someone about it. Well, someone that wasn't actively involved, anyway. The funny thing was that instead of trying to comfort me by reassuring me of the abilities of those I had in my corner, she distracted me instead.

"Did you leave, then?" She asked.

"No," I said. "Ranger tightened his squeeze on me and prevented my escape." Ella chuckled at that. "He told the guys to take a small break and they left us alone in the conference room." I was hesitant to tell her what Ranger and I discussed while we were alone in the conference room, especially since there wasn't a lot of talking. She gave me a knowing look anyway and I realized that I'd said that out loud. I ignored my embarrassment and continued with my story.

 _When the guys came back into the room, I moved again to sit in my own chair. Cal tossed me a bottle of water and a wink from across the table, which caused me to blush as everyone took their seats._

" _Ram," Ranger started. "Why don't you tell us what you observed while you were following the doctor?"_

" _I waited outside his clinic the rest of the afternoon," Ram said. "The last of his patients left just after 1700 and the staff twenty minutes later. Except for Perrington, that is. He didn't leave until 1800. I followed him to his house and Hal took over the watch. Perrington has been under constant surveillance since then. He left for work this morning at 0800, grabbed a coffee at a drive-up window, and was at the office at twenty to nine."_

 _Ranger nodded. "Who's watching the clinic this morning?"_

" _Zero took over at 0600 and should be relieved by Vince in about half an hour," Ram said._

" _What do we know about Perrington?" Ranger asked. "Does he live alone? Can we get some cameras and microphones hidden in his house today while he's at work?"_

" _Rodriguez is looking into his background," Tank said. Rodriguez looked up from his computer long enough to nod in agreement and then went back to studying his screen. "We do know that he's divorced and not likely to be living with anyone, so the house should be unoccupied."_

" _Junior," Ranger began. "You and Woody head over to the doctor's neighborhood and scope out the situation. Take one of your personal vehicles and change out of your work clothes so that you don't stick out so much. If there's an opportunity to install some surveillance equipment, then do it, but only if you can avoid being noticed. It won't do us any good if one of his neighbors gets suspicious."_

" _I didn't hear that," Joe said to no one in particular. I grinned at him._

"After that, the meeting broke up and everyone left to take care of their assigned tasks. I stayed in the conference room with a few of the guys and worked on searches for Rodriguez until lunch. Ranger said he had some calls to make and went to his office when the other guys left, but he joined me in the lunchroom for your amazing pulled pork sandwiches." Ella smiled at me. "Before I came back upstairs, the guys had managed to put in a couple of cameras on the exterior of Dr. Perrington's house, but I guess it was too difficult to get inside undetected. I'm not sure what their plan is beyond that."

"It sounds like things are moving in the right direction," Ella said. "You may not have all the answers, but it certainly sounds like you are on the right track. Just smile and acknowledge your progress; worrying isn't productive."

"You're right," I replied. "But I can't seem to help myself from worrying." I shrugged as we started setting the table. "Did you want to join us for dinner? There's obviously more than enough."

"Thank you, Dear," she said. "But you just enjoy yourself tonight. Let that man of yours relieve your stress."

I blushed at her insinuation. "Thanks, Ella."

We finished making dinner and after a brief explanation of how to use the torch and sugar to finish off the crème brûlée, Ella gave me another hug and left the apartment. I'd found some matches and lit the candles on the table and turned on the stereo to some soft background music while I waited for Ranger to arrive. It turned out that I didn't have long to wait because the door to the apartment opened not ten minutes later.


	35. Chapter 35

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Thank you all for your responses to the last chapter. I'm hoping to be able to post a little more frequently now as this story is wrapping up. As always, your feedback is both helpful and appreciated. Thanks, Chica.

* * *

As soon as the door to the apartment opened, I hopped off of the barstool in the kitchen where I had been waiting for Ranger's return. Running towards him, I met him in the living room when he stopped to take off his gun belt. Our eyes locked on one another in an instant and when he gave me that panty-melting smile, I eliminated the last couple of feet that stood between us, wrapping my arms around him. He held me close, yet gently, so I was able to enjoy the feeling of him in my arms without experiencing any pain from my injuries.

We stood there, embracing one another, for several minutes. He smelled so good that I couldn't stop myself from running my nose up and down the column of his neck, taking in more of his glorious scent. "Mmm," I hummed. "You smell amazing!" I don't know what it is about his scent; it's part woodsy, part sweet, and the rest is a masculine smell I can't quite put a label on. Whatever it is, it feels like home to me, and nothing makes me feel as safe as being wrapped in his arms and surrounded by the magnificent scent of Ranger.

Ranger chuckled and it occurs to me that I may have said some of that out loud. Fortunately, I didn't have the chance to be embarrassed by my not-so-internal monologue before he begins moving his hands down my back and placing kisses along my neck. I was so lost in the sensation of his fingertips exploring my body, that I didn't think much about how his hands had travelled to my ass until Ranger lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. I yelped in surprise. Ranger continued his chuckling as he walked us into the kitchen.

"Don't bother trying to distract me, Babe," he said saucily. "The smells coming from this kitchen are far too enticing to ignore." He set me gently on the counter and gave me the most beautiful smile. It was the kind of smile that lit up his entire face and made him look like a little boy. I returned his smile and we just stared into each other's eyes for the longest time. It didn't seem possible that a man this smart and kind and absolutely HOT, would look at me with such adulation. I was truly the luckiest woman in the world!

My smile faltered as I considered the disappointment and embarrassment I'd feel if dinner was a flop. I glanced down at my hands shyly before responding. "Do you really think it smells good in here?"

He pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and caressing my face, without ever pulling his eyes away from mine. "Why would you doubt it?" he said sincerely.

"It's just that everyone has been saying what a terrible cook I am and I don't want to disappoint you," I replied. I could see the guilt in Ranger's eyes as he tried to apologize, but I wasn't out to make him feel bad so I covered his mouth with my fingertips. He got the hint and nodded for me to continue. "The thing is; it didn't seem so hard to me. Ella and I had fun together. I hadn't really thought about failing until just now, but that's only because I want everything to be perfect for you. It felt like cooking with Ella was as easy for me as learning how to run searches on the computer. Like with a little practice, I could give Ella a run for her money." I grinned. "I guess I'm just second guessing myself now because of how well everything seemed to go. I mean, I obviously earned my bad cooking reputation somehow."

Ranger looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. After a moment I realized that I still had my hand over his mouth and quickly pulled it away. "Sorry."

"Is it OK to talk now?" he teased.

"Of course," I replied, matching his playful tone.

"Babe," Ranger said. "I have no doubt that whatever you made for dinner will be amazing." I smiled at him tentatively. It seemed like the kind of thing a guy would say to his girlfriend so he wouldn't hurt her feelings. As if sensing my thoughts, he continued. "I think the only reason you haven't had a lot of success up to this point is because you were too discouraged and stopped trying."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"When you were first learning to cook, your mother was very critical of your mistakes. Rather than helping you, she made you feel bad about yourself when you messed up. For whatever reason, your mother was very encouraging to your sister, however, and she picked up the skill quickly. So instead of competing with your sister, you chose to avoid your mother completely by hanging out in the garage with your dad. I have no doubt that you would have picked up the skill much sooner had you had a more supportive teacher."

"Or a different mother, you mean." I was starting to get irritated with that woman all over again, but really didn't want to go down that road. Ranger gave me a small smile which told me he understood my frustration. Taking a deep breath, I thought over what Ranger had told me about my mother. I was a bit surprised with his explanation; not that I was surprised to hear that my mother was a lousy teacher. The little interaction we had in the hospital was enough to prove to me that she has very little compassion, for me at least. What did surprise me, however, was that Ranger would know so much about my early cooking struggles. I asked him why that was.

"Come on, Babe," he said. "This one should be pretty easy to guess… you told me."

It was my turn to chuckle. "Of course, how obvious!" I said with a smirk. The weird part was that it was not only the most logical explanation, but the one that gave me the most pleasure. In the short time I'd known Ranger, this go-round at least, I had easily determined that he is a man of integrity, compassion, and brilliance. I've experienced his passionate nature first-hand and know that he is a skilled lover, yet nothing about that spoke to the level of true intimacy that we shared. The kind of intimacy that went beyond the sharing of bodies to the sharing of the private details of our lives with one another. I was overjoyed at the notion that we shared this type closeness, and I hoped it would continue. The grin on my face was getting bigger by the second.

Ranger picked up on my mood and gave me another enormous smile. "Enough stalling," he said. "What did you girls make this evening?"

* * *

Dinner, as it turned out, was a huge success. Well, if you ignore the small matter of the paper towels catching fire while I was trying to brûlée the dessert. Fortunately, Ranger responded even more quickly than the smoke alarm, took possession of the torch, and set the paper towels to soaking in the sink. I guess some of those cooking disasters are a little more understandable now.

We spent the next few hours in pleasant conversation on the couch. He told me more of my friends and some funny stories about my first experiences working with Rangeman. I laughed heartily at some of my antics, but primarily at the expressions on Ranger's face when he told me of the frustrations I gave him.

Ranger had gone to open another bottle of wine when his cell phone rang. He frowned when he saw the name on the screen, but he answered it anyway. I saw the tension creeping into his bearing and sat up straight in response. "Who else knows about this?" he asked. Another moment of silence followed, at least on this end of the conversation. "Good," he continued. "I want everyone in conference room "C" in twenty minutes."

My heart was racing by the time Ranger hung up the phone. What had happened? They wouldn't have called him at this hour unless it was important. Was someone else hurt? I began wringing my hands together in anticipation of what Ranger would tell me. He came back and sat beside me on the couch, stilling my hands with his own.

"Relax, Babe," he said. "Everything's OK."

I was too afraid to speak so I just nodded my head in acknowledgement. Ranger wrapped his arms around me. "Really, Babe, everything is fine." He gave me a slight squeeze and pulled me away from him far enough that we could see into one another's eyes. "I won't lie to you," he said. I took a deep breath and nodded as he moved his hands to hold my face and caress my cheeks.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We got some more information on Dr. Perrington, and we're getting everyone together to discuss the details," he answered.

"It must be big news if you're calling everyone in at eight-thirty," I said confidently.

Ranger didn't respond, choosing instead to stand up from the couch and pull me up beside him. "You don't need to be there if you don't want to be there," Ranger said. "I can fill you in on the details after the meeting if you'd rather stay up here."

I was shaking my head before he'd even finished talking. "Not a chance!" I said. "We're in this together, so I'm absolutely going." I was worried he'd change his mind about me coming along, so before he said anything further I was picking up our empty wine glasses and bringing them to the kitchen. We'd already put dinner away and our dishes were in the dishwasher, so I just added our wine glasses after a quick rinse and headed to the bedroom in search of my shoes.

As I was finishing with my laces, Ranger popped his head into the room and asked if I was ready. I nodded and we made our way to the conference room. Since we hadn't taken more than ten minutes to get downstairs I had expected that we'd be the first to arrive, but Hector, Lester and Rodriguez were already sitting around the table. They appeared to have been there for a while so I was guessing that one of them had been the one to call Ranger.

Cal and Junior followed us into the room, arguing with one another about the skill set of the newest goalie for the Devils. Within the next five minutes, almost all of my guys and a few additional Rangeman employees were seated around the conference table, waiting for the meeting to start. There was a distinctive energy in the room. It wasn't quite excitement, but it was something close to that, and I could tell that I wasn't the only one feeling it. It would be truly wonderful to have some idea as to why I had been targeted, and I couldn't help but hope that the guys had found a big enough clue to do just that. Tank was the last to arrive, explaining that he had been staying at his house and not in the apartment on the fourth floor. The only ones missing were Bobby and Woody, but it didn't seem like Ranger was inclined to wait for them.

Ranger cleared his throat. "I know it's late, so thank you all for coming in so quickly." There was a round of head bobbing as everyone silently acknowledged Ranger. "Let's get right to it, shall we? As you know, we've been monitoring both Dr. Perrington's home and office, as well as keeping him under direct observation. We haven't learned anything through those means that we didn't know this morning. Rodriguez did, however, uncover something about the good doctor that may explain a little more about what is going on in that office and what Stephanie may have stumbled into."

Rodriguez looked up from his keyboard and spoke quickly to Hector, "Se puede tirar hacia arriba el archivo de FBM?" _(Can you pull up the FBM file)_ Hector nodded once and typed into his computer. Moments later we were all looking at what appeared to be a personnel folder for Dr. Perrington. Addressing the rest of us, Rodriguez said, "We were able to locate a file within the Florida Board of Medicine, which recorded multiple complaints and a major malpractice suit filed against Dr. Perrington."

"Florida?" I asked. "Why would his records be in Florida?"

Rodriguez rolled his eyes and said something under his breath. I didn't hear him, but it was obvious by the low growls coming from both Lester and Hector, that they did hear and they didn't appreciate the comment. Rodriguez glanced at Hector before quickly dropping his gaze and swallowing audibly.

"According to records, the doctor had a practice in Palmetto Bay, south of Miami," Rodriguez said, a bit apprehensively. "After the malpractice suit against him eight years ago, Dr. Perrington closed up shop and moved to Trenton where he established a new practice."

"If the malpractice suit caused his office to close in Florida," Junior asked. "How is he able to practice medicine in New Jersey?"

"Unfortunately," Rodriguez replied. "The outcome of the suit merely made it impossible for the doctor to maintain his liability insurance in the state of Florida. Perrington applied for, and was granted, a license to practice medicine in the state of New Jersey, but he is only insured to practice family medicine."

"What kind of medicine was he practicing in Florida?" I asked.

Rodriguez looked up and met my eyes. "Cosmetic surgery," he replied.

The room got incredibly quiet as everyone contemplated Dr. Perrington's specialty. After a moment Tank spoke up. "Miami is a hotbed for illegal activity. If he was operating a cosmetic surgery office south of Miami, it's possible that his client list included drug runners or human traffickers looking to change their look in order to evade local law enforcement."

I gasped as everything seemed to click for me. "Mendez," I said. "That's why I didn't recognize him." I looked at Lester because he'd reviewed the pictures of Mendez's crew with me while I was still in the hospital. "Remember how his eyes looked familiar?"

"You may be on to something there," Lester replied. Addressing the room, Lester said, "The mock-ups we did of Mendez only showed him with different hair color and styles. You know, how he might look with a beard or sideburns or handlebar mustache, but nothing that actually changed the basic look of his face. This opens up all kinds of possibilities."

"And a bigger set of problems," Ram said. "If we don't know what he looks like anymore, Mendez could be right under our noses and we'd never know."

"At this point, it's just a theory," Ranger said. I was shocked with his reply. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me that this theory was fact. It was almost like a tingling sensation that I couldn't turn off. I was about to protest Ranger's dismissal, when he started talking again. "But, it's a very good theory." He looked at me and winked, almost like he knew what I was going to say. "Who's on Perrington right now?"

Lester piped up, "Bobby and Woody are keeping tabs on him right now. They were also able to add a couple cameras to the interior of his home. They have built-in mics as well, so we're able to hear anything that goes on in the living room and kitchen." Lester looked back at Ranger. "We think we'll be able to get a couple more cameras in there tomorrow after the doctor heads to work, so we'll be aiming for the home office and master bedroom."

"Good," Ranger said. "I want someone listening to those mics as well as the one at his office, twenty-four hours a day. If anything significant is heard, I want to know about it ASAP, regardless of the time." Ranger reached over and grabbed my hand. He didn't look at me though, so I wasn't sure if he even realized that he was doing it. "After last night's phone call, I don't want to miss any details about how or when the good doctor is going to make his move against Stephanie. I also want to get cameras inside his clinic tonight. Concentrate on his office and the break room or any other areas he seems to go when he's not seeing patients."

"Deberiamos mirar las historias clinicas ya que estamos en la oficina?" Hector asked. _(Should we look through his records while we're in his office)_ "Ver si podemos averiguar nada sobre Mendez?" _(See if we can find out anything on Mendez)_

"Si, es una buena idea," Ranger replied. _(Yes, that's a good idea)_ "Ser discreto, no queremos ponerle en alerta mas de lo que lo esta." _(Be discreet, we don't want him any more on alert)_

Ranger caught my confused look and explained Hector's idea in English. It seemed like a good idea to me, so I smiled and nodded at Hector.

A few minutes later, everyone was filing out of the conference room to tackle their assigned tasks and Ranger and I were heading to the elevator in silence. I was convinced that Mendez was our guy and that he ordered the attacks on my life. All we needed to do now was figure out who else was involved and how to stop them. As difficult as it was bound to be, I knew it was only a matter of time before Ranger had the information we needed… he is Batman after all.


	36. Chapter 36

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

OK, so this story is coming to a close. I'm thinking another chapter, maybe two. Please keep the feedback coming, I truly appreciate it. Chica.

* * *

The door was locked. My brow automatically furrowed as I recalled my earlier conversation, trying to determine if I'd misunderstood where we were meeting. A random thought passed through my mind that this is how women developed premature wrinkles, and I quickly straightened my expression and ran my fingers across my forehead to ensure it was smooth again. _This is certainly strange_ , I thought to myself. Perhaps I'd missed a call? I checked my phone and found no missed calls and it was already five after two.

With my hands trying to shield the sunlight from my eyes, I looked through the glass front door. Although the waiting room looked empty and the lights were off, I could see a light coming from one of the rooms in the back. Maybe Vivian didn't know that the front door was locked? I made my way around the back of the building and was delighted to find the rear door unlocked. I smiled as I walked in, heading for the room with the light on.

"Vivian?" I called quietly. Suddenly my Spidey senses were tingling and fear began crawling up my back. Everything about this situation felt wrong, but although I had slowed down my steps, I just couldn't stop myself from moving forward. I needed to see in that room. I needed to know that Vivian was OK.

When I finally reached the door I noticed that it was slightly ajar and light was spilling out into the hallway. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open, expecting the worst.

The scene in front of me caught me so much by surprise that I stood there stunned and immobile. There in the exam room were four men. The one directly in front of me was wearing a white lab coat. He had a wad of gauze in his right hand and his left hand on the face of another man who was seated on the exam table. He quickly pulled his hands away and stared at me with surprise and a small amount of fear. I could tell that there were another two men, one on either side of the exam room, but my eyes were drawn to the man I assumed to be the patient. His face was a little blotchy, but otherwise striking for a man in his forties. His overall skin tone and dark hair gave him the appearance of someone with Hispanic heritage, but his square jaw and high rounded cheekbones leaned more towards someone of European ancestry.

When my eyes met his, the blood in my veins seemed to freeze. I had been so distracted by that cold, sinister look, that I didn't notice the guns in the hands of the men on the periphery until they were lifted in my direction. Fortunately, that seemed to shake me out of my stupor and I bolted from the room and out the back door as quickly as humanly possible.

I'd just stepped out into the sunshine when I heard the first shot. Startled, I tripped in the alley, skinning my hands and knees. I was on my feet again in seconds and running for my car. I knew that if I could just make it to the safety of my car, that I would be alright, that I would escape. I'd call Ranger and he'd help me. I heard another shot and felt a bullet whizz by my head, causing me to scream.

* * *

"Just give her some room, don't crowd her!"

I could hear Ranger's voice as though it were at the end of a long tunnel. He was talking to me in soothing tones but I couldn't understand anything he was saying. All I could see was that never ending alley, and I knew the shooter was right behind me. I was terrified, but I knew Ranger would help me.

"Ranger will help me," I whispered to myself. "Ranger will help me."

"That's right, Babe," Ranger said softly. "I'm here, I'm going to help you."

"Oh, God! I don't want to die." I'd begun crying and wrapped my arms around myself as tight as I could. "Ranger…" I cried.

My body was rocking back and forth and I was once again being soothed, but this time by gentle caresses on my hair and my back. And then I sensed it. That wonderful smell that promised me safety and comfort like nothing else could. Ranger. He was here. When he started talking this time, I could feel his words reverberate through my body. "Shhh, I've got you, Babe. I'm right here. You're safe now, I'm right here."

As if a veil was lifted from my eyes, the room around me slowly came into focus. I was no longer in that alley, but in one of the conference rooms at Rangeman. And instead of the cold eyes, I now recognized as belonging to Eduardo Mendez, staring back at me, all I saw was compassion and concern in the eyes of my friends. "Ranger?" I whispered.

"I'm here, Babe," he replied. I looked over my shoulder and directly into his chocolate brown eyes. He stopped rocking us then and ran his hand along the side of my face with the most gentle touch I'd ever felt. "There you are," he said quietly.

He had a small smile on his face but the look in his eyes still hinted at underlying fear. I tucked my chin down and rested my head against Ranger's chest. "I saw him, Ranger," I said softly. "I know what he looks like. I saw them all."

Ranger rested his chin on the top of my head in an oddly comforting fashion. "It's OK, Babe," he replied. "We'll handle it together." He lifted his chin and I nodded my head in agreement as he wiped the tears off my cheeks. "Do you want to get up now?"

I looked around and took in the scene for the first time. Ranger was on the floor in a corner of the conference room and I was sitting in his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around me. Several of my guys were standing or squatting half a dozen feet away, looking like they weren't sure what to do with themselves. Their worried expressions matched those I'd seen in Ranger moments ago and I immediately felt bad for being the cause of them.

I nodded in response. "Sorry," I said to my guys, bashfully.

Cal was by my side in the blink of an eye, offering me his hands when I started to get up off Ranger's lap. I placed my hands into his outstretched ones and let him help me to my feet. Once I was standing, Cal began leading me to the closest chair. Ranger stood then and kept his hands resting on my lower back. It was as though he knew I needed the comfort of his touch, even though we were among friends.

I followed Cal to a chair that Bobby pulled out for me and sat down, immediately beginning to shake. Cal felt it before he'd let me go and shot a fearful look between Bobby and Ranger, who'd stepped up beside me. Without a word, Ranger picked me up out of the chair and sat down in my place with me in his lap once again. It was exactly what I'd needed so I smiled shyly at them all.

"OK," Ranger said calmly. "Anybody want to tell me what happened?"

I looked at him in confusion. Hadn't he been here? I couldn't remember what happened before that memory resurfaced, but surely he would… Ranger ran his thumb across my brow, smoothing it out as he told me that he had been in his office when he heard me scream. I was surprised and looked at all my guys for an explanation.

Lester cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. "She said she wanted to see the pictures of Mendez and his crew again," he began. "I didn't think it would be any harm." Lester's expression was full of remorse and sadness, and I couldn't stand to see it.

"It's OK, Lester," I said softly. "I guess I was just caught a little by surprise." I smiled up at him. "It worked though; I remember what happened now." While I knew that I wasn't in any real danger here, at this moment, it was difficult to shake off the fear that still lingered. Knowing why I was being targeted, though, allowed me to feel like I'd gained something back. Like the fear was something I'd be able to control now that I knew how I'd gotten myself into this mess.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed as a new thought surfaced. "Ranger, this has nothing to do with you! Mendez is after me because I saw him, not because someone you work with sold you out!" I was so excited that Ranger wasn't in danger because of an unknown government traitor. In fact, his connection to Mendez was probably completely unknown. "The threat to my life has absolutely nothing to do with a vendetta against you," I continued. I was reminded of the conversation we'd had when he said that he was hesitant to begin a relationship with me because he would be putting me at risk. I think he was convinced that my near-death experience and my amnesia were somehow his fault. Now that we know the truth, I can honestly say that knowing Ranger has saved my life, and I told him so.

Ranger was quiet as if really contemplating the validity of his fears for the first time. I looked up and noticed several of the guys smiling, and a big smirk on Tank's face. It seems as though I wasn't the only one who'd been trying to convince Ranger that my life would actually be safer with him than without.

"Thank you," Ranger said quietly.

I looked at him in confusion. "Why are you thanking me?" I asked.

"For reminding me how strong you are," he replied. Lowering his voice he said, "For making me feel less guilty about the dangers you might face, just for being with me."

I smiled. "It seems to me that we've already established that I'm pretty much a danger magnet," I said with a wink. "I still think I'm getting the better end of this deal… a wonderful, caring, and gorgeous man who loves me, and my very own Batman to keep me safe."

The room erupted in laughter at the mention of Batman, lifting the tension that had been building since my little episode. I could see the happiness shining behind Ranger's eyes and knew it matched my own. I cupped his face between my hands and kissed him sweetly. When I pulled back I could see his eyes darken and his pupils dilate. I wiggled in his lap and felt his growing excitement; he moaned in response.

My lips were making their way back to Ranger's when Lester interrupted. "Before you guys start getting freaky right here in the conference room, perhaps we should talk about the case?"

I growled in frustration which earned me a few chuckles from the guys. Ranger's face was full of indecision. His hands were gripping my thighs and I could see his struggle to refocus on the case instead of his baser instincts. I leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Later, I promise."

"I'm holding you to that," he whispered in reply. He tilted his head so that our foreheads were touching and we took a moment to gaze into each other's eyes. We didn't say anything else, but the look we shared said enough. I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

The guys started laughing again as Ranger's lust-filled haze morphed into a smug expression and a cocky grin. "Damn, I said that out loud, huh?"

"Yeah, Babe, you did."

I shrugged my shoulders and looked back at my guys. What else was there to say? "OK, where do we start?" I asked.

"How about you share with us what you just remembered and we take it from there?" Lester suggested.

I felt Ranger's arms wrap around my waist and he gave me a small squeeze for encouragement. He was letting me know that he was here for me, supporting me, and I knew that I didn't have to be afraid anymore.

* * *

I rehashed my encounter with Mendez and was able to not only give a good description of what he looked like, but with the help of Hector's fancy software, we have a good likeness of him now, too. I confirmed Dr. Perrington's identity and then described the two gunmen. Nobody was very surprised to learn that they were the Bronco man / oatmeal poisoner, and Javier Acosta, the man who took a dive out of my hospital window.

Now that we had a better idea who we were dealing with, and why, it was time to get the TPD involved again. Ranger called Joe and he arrived at Rangeman twenty minutes later. He also had a big smile on his face. I guess he had some news to share, too.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," I told Joe. "What's going on?" I'd taken my own seat across the table from him when he walked in so that we could avoid any of the weird tension we'd had the last time he came over.

"We found a connection between Andrea Lipton and Raymond Alvarez," Joe said.

"Who's Andrea Lipton?" Ranger asked.

"You remember the woman who lives across from Tucker, the Bronco owner?" Joe asked. After a round of nods, he continued. "As you know, she was working at the post office the day that Tucker dropped off his notice to hold his mail, and since she is also currently living directly across the street from Tucker, we began surveillance of her home."

"What did you find?" I asked excitedly. "Did the Bronco man show up?"

"No, Steph," he said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your Bronco man, it was Raymond Alvarez."

"Wait, I'm confused," Junior said. "Alvarez is dead."

"You're right, Alvarez is dead," Joe replied. "But it appears that prior to his death he was dating Andrea Lipton. We were able to determine that Alvarez's cell phone had previously been billed to Lipton's account. It's the only connection we could find, and it was only for a few months, several months ago. I think they were trying to eliminate anything that would tie them together, but they forgot one small detail. Now we just need to find the link between Alvarez and your Bronco driver, and then we can really start rolling."

Ranger looked at me and smiled. Joe didn't miss the exchange. "OK, what am I missing?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Ranger teased. "Just that Stephanie remembered why she was initially attacked, and who attacked her."

"Steph, that's great!" Joe replied. "Who was it, what happened?

Instead of responding directly, I slid across the table a copy of the picture Hector had helped me create. "This is Eduardo Mendez," I replied. Joe picked up the picture and looked it over before putting it back on the table, a look of confusion on his face.

"That's not the picture you showed me before," he accused. I could tell that he was beginning to think we'd tricked him or intentionally misled him, as his face was turning a nice shade of red.

Ranger spoke up before Joe had a chance to get a full head of steam. "That was because we didn't know what he looked like after his cosmetic surgery until now."

Joe picked up the picture again, looking a bit more thoughtfully at it this time. He leaned back in his chair and a moment later seemed to put some of the pieces together. "And let me guess," he said. "The creepy doctor is a plastic surgeon."

"Well," I began. "Not anymore, but he was when he still had a practice just outside of Miami. We think that's where he initially met Mendez, or maybe he just got a referral from some other bad dudes, I don't know. The point is, I saw them together at his office before the Bronco man tried to kill me."

Joe nodded his head in understanding. "What else can you tell me? Any other details you can remember?"

"No other details yet, but I think your connection between Lipton and Alvarez makes a little more sense now," I responded. "Alvarez was working at the clinic, so perhaps he asked his girlfriend to be on the lookout for an opportunity to borrow a car for a while? Heck, maybe she just mentioned it in passing and Alvarez took advantage with an opportunity that presented itself."

"I think we may have uncovered a motive for Alvarez's death and a potential suspect," Ranger told him. I looked at Ranger in surprise. When did we figure that out? Ranger looked at me when he continued. "When Mendez figured out who you were and why you were there, I have no doubt that he took care of Alvarez for putting him in this situation. Whether that meant that he sent one of his men to take care of him or he did it himself, I couldn't say."

I was sitting in the chair nodding my head along to what Ranger had said, when a smile began stretching across my face. Lester was the first to notice.

"What's got you smiling, Beautiful?" He asked.

In less than a second, all the eyes in the room that had previously been focused on the exchange between Ranger and Joe, were now focused on me. I smiled ever wider.

"I was just thinking that there isn't much mystery left to solve," I replied. "We've figured out who is after me and why. Who the key players are, or at least their connections with Mendez. We know what Mendez looks like now, and you've been surveilling Dr. Perrington's house and office, so we know where he is and what he's up to. Seems like all we need to do now is just arrest everybody, and it'll all be over. Next to having all my memories back, not having to be afraid all the time is the next best thing!"

Ranger shot me a concerned look and wheeled my chair closer to him so that he could take my hand. "Please tell me you haven't been afraid all this time," he pled. "This building is more secure than most government facilities, Babe. My crew is made up of some of the best-trained soldiers and security experts you'll ever meet, and I'd do anything to keep you safe. You should know that."

He was looking at me with equal parts love and concern. It was so moving, I couldn't keep the tears from welling up in my eyes. "Of course I'm afraid, Ranger," I replied. For a brief moment he looked crushed, then his blank face slammed down. "I'm putting all of you in danger, just by being here," I said. I took his face in my hands as I looked him in the eyes. "I don't have any doubt that you'd do everything in your power to protect me, I'm just worried that you'll end up getting hurt or killed because of me."

Ranger looked at me with understanding for a moment and then burst into laughter, as if suddenly remembering a funny joke. I was so surprised, I looked around the room trying to figure out if I'd missed something obvious, but judging by the looks I was seeing, everyone else was just as puzzled.

"We're quite the pair, aren't we?" Ranger asked when he got his laughter under control. I was still trying to figure him out when he continued. "You're worried about my safety because of some bad people you encountered. Sound familiar?"

When it clicked for me, I too, could see the humor in the situation. I'd been experiencing the same fear for his safety that he'd always felt for mine. "I guess we are," I finally replied, smiling.

A cough from across the table reminded me that we weren't alone. The urges to reconnect were rapidly taking over my thought processes and I knew that if this meeting didn't come to an end soon, the guys would be getting a show. I looked up and saw Joe smirking at me. There was an almost wistful expression on his face, but there was happiness in his eyes as well. Knowing that he could be happy for me after our breakup gave me the hope that we would become good friends, whether I remembered anything else or not.

"OK," Joe said while getting up from his chair. "I think I have an APB to put out, and a doctor to arrest." He picked up the picture of Mendez. "Can I keep this?"

"Of course," Ranger replied. "Let me know when you get a line on Mendez and I'll have a team there in no time. To back you up," he added.

Joe made his way towards the door and looked at me one last time before approaching Ranger. They shook hands and Joe gave a slight nod of his head. Ranger returned it, and then Joe left. I think Ranger just got Joe's blessing, and I couldn't help but smile.


	37. Chapter 37

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

I'm so happy to have gotten such great responses to this story. I appreciate all the feedback, and get excited when I see that I have a new review. This chapter ends in a little bit of a cliffie, but I expect to have the next chapter up very soon, so you shouldn't have to wait long. Thanks, Chica.

* * *

The next afternoon found me sitting with Junior in our usual conference room and working my way through a stack of searches. Most of them were for potential clients, but there were quite a few skip searches in the mix to keep the monotony at bay.

I went to the printer to pick up the latest search results and grabbed a cup of coffee from the sideboard. After a fair amount of experimentation, I'd determined that I prefer my coffee with a generous helping of cream and sugar, much to Ranger's dismay. With my coffee doctored and my search results in hand, I made my way back to the table.

So many of the fugitives that Rangeman was tasked with bringing in, could only be described as awful. There were the occasional white collar criminals in the mix, but the vast majority of these skips were murderers, rapists, and people that abused those they claimed to love. These were the types of people that my guys were surrounded by on a regular basis, and the skip I was currently searching for was no exception. Picking up a highlighter, I began reviewing the search results to identify key locations and people that might lead to the skip's capture. The methodical highlighting was doing a pretty good job of distracting me, so I was startled when Junior spoke next.

"You OK, Steph?" he asked.

"What?" I replied, my heart beating quickly after being surprised. Once I'd calmed a bit I realized what he'd said. "Oh, I'm OK. Why do you ask?"

"I was worried that you might be a little upset," he replied, pointing at the pages in front of me.

I looked down to discover that I'd highlighted the entire page. "Guess that won't be too helpful, huh?" I replied with a slight grin. Junior gave a half-hearted chuckle as I recapped the highlighter and gave him my full attention. "Doesn't it bother you?" I asked.

He seemed completely confused with my question, so I elaborated. "The skips," I said. "How can you stand to read all these terrible things that people do? And knowing what they're like, how do you convince yourself to hang out in seedy places, seeking them out?" I shook my head. "It bothers me that so much of this work, is having to deal with the dregs of society." I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm myself.

"I get what you're saying," he began. "The reality for most of us is that there aren't many jobs, outside of the military, where we can use our specific skills for the greater good. I'm sure the world would be a better place if there wasn't a need for jobs like ours, but the truth is that there will always be people who jump bail, and we're the best at bringing them back." He gave me a tentative smile. "So, yes, sometimes we have to spend a bit too much time in the sketchy parts of town or talking with criminals, but at the end of the day if our efforts prevent even one more person from getting hurt, then it's worth it… every time."

"You're right," I said resignedly. "I totally get that the work you do is important, and I'm glad that there are skilled men like yourselves willing to do it. It's just that you are all so amazing that I wish you guys were able to spend more time around good people."

Junior nodded his head in agreement. "I think you've stumbled on why we all love being around you so much. You're a caring and compassionate woman, who never once looked at us and thought we were thugs, like so many other people in town, just because of what we wear or where we have to spend so much time." He gave my shoulder a small squeeze. "Why don't you take a break for a while?" he suggested. "Maybe get something to eat or take a nap? It's amazing how much a difference a little time-out can make in one's overall outlook." He looked at me with such a genuine smile that I couldn't discount the logic of his suggestion.

"That sounds like a good idea," I said. I got up from my chair and started walking away, turning around as I opened the door. "I'll see you later?" I asked.

"Count on it," he replied with a smile.

I closed the conference room door and made my way to the break room to see what my snack options were. Ranger and I had enjoyed a couple of Ella's delicious Reuben sandwiches not quite two hours ago, so I wasn't really hungry. That being said, something sweet would hit the spot nicely.

Unfortunately, Ella's amazing baking skills didn't seem to result in those types of snack foods in the break room. But since I usually get some pretty delicious dessert when she brings dinner up to the apartment, I wasn't about to complain. I ended up grabbing a fruit cup and some vanilla yogurt that I'd found in the fridge and settled at one of the tables to eat.

The break room remained empty the entire time I sat eating my snack, allowing me some much needed alone-time to gather my thoughts. I thought more about the work that Rangeman did, and after talking with Junior about it, I was so proud that the men in my life were willing to put up with such negative attitudes on a regular basis. I couldn't fathom how the community at large would treat them as thugs when they were obviously helping them out by returning the real criminals to jail.

It hurt my heart that people could be so foolish as to not see how amazing, courageous, and thoughtful these men are. Even after I forgot them all, they never wavered in their willingness to do whatever they could to protect and support me. Heck, my own family couldn't even manage that.

Once all this is over and I can leave the building without risking my life or the lives of anyone willing to protect me, I'll do something nice for the guys. Maybe I'll throw them a party, or take them out somewhere where we could all let loose for a while. Everyone's been working so hard to keep me safe and figure out who was trying to hurt me, that I am quite certain they haven't taken any time off to enjoy themselves since I left the hospital.

As I sat at the table in the break room, thinking over my plans, my eyelids began drooping and I realized that I was getting pretty tired. Junior's suggestion for a nap sounded like a great idea, so I cleared away my dirty dishes and headed to the elevator. When I was getting close to Ranger's office, I could tell that he was speaking with someone, and judging by his tone of voice, he was excited. I stepped into his office as he was finishing a phone call.

"Perfect," He said. "My crew will meet you in fifteen minutes. And Morelli… thanks."

I approached his desk, anxious to hear what was happening. "What's going on?" I asked.

Ranger picked up the phone again and held up his index finger, letting me know to wait a minute. "Have the core team meet in the lobby in five, we're moving out." He quickly hung up the phone and turned his attention to me. "Morelli picked up Perrington this morning and he sang like a bird. They've got a location on Mendez and TPD is going to let us join them for the apprehension." Ranger stood up and met me on the other side of his desk, wrapping his arms around me in a quick hug. "This is almost over, Babe." He pulled away from me and kissed my forehead before heading to the door. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" I cried out when I realized that he was leaving me. "I'm going with you." I demanded.

"No," he replied. His expression was rigid as though I were a soldier of his that he could boss around with just his say so. I could feel my face getting hot as I tried to reel in my emotions before I said something I couldn't take back.

"You can't force me to stay here," I said as calmly as I could.

"Yes, I can," he replied. The fury building inside me must have shown on my face because he walked back to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Please, Babe, don't fight me on this. It's too dangerous right now for you to be out of the building." He pulled me into his arms and held me close as he buried his face in my hair. After a moment he pulled back from me and cupped my face with his hands. "When Mendez has been taken into custody, I will personally take you anywhere you want to go."

My anger at his refusal waned a little when I saw how truly worried he was for my safety. "Ranger, I know you only want to protect me," I acknowledged. "But I need to be there. I need to see that man arrested." As much as I could tell Ranger hated telling me "no", I could see that I hadn't persuaded him to change his mind. It felt like a cheap shot to say what I was about to say, but desperate times called for desperate measures… "He took so much from me, Ranger. He tried to have me killed, multiple times! The result of which has left me with brain damage that may or may not be permanent." I closed my eyes and took a breath to center myself. "Please don't ask me to let you handle it without me, Ranger… I need this."

Ranger dropped his hands from my face and turned around. He began pacing the room and running his hand across his face while mumbling to himself. After what seemed like eternity, he turned to face me.

"OK," he said. "Against my better judgement I'm going to allow you to come along." I gave him a big smile and started to thank him when he interrupted me. "…If you stay in the car the entire time, and one of my men stays with you."

I opened my mouth to complain but one look from him was enough for me to shut it and swallow my reply. I nodded instead. "I agree to those terms," I said quietly. It may have been a small concession, but it felt like I'd won a major battle. "Thank you, Ranger."

My arms were wrapped around Ranger's back and I hugged him for all I was worth. He returned my hug but quickly pulled away. "Come on," he said. "We need to leave in less than five minutes." With his hand at the small of my back, he led me from the office to the elevator and pressed the 'down' button. The short ride was made in absolute silence. Ranger was probably thinking about how the arrest was going to go, and I was just trying not to draw any attention to myself that would have him changing his mind and leaving me at Rangeman.

When we arrived in the parking garage, Ranger pulled me into a small storage area which housed a mini arsenal. Several of the others were getting suited up and we had to squeeze to get past them. Ranger dug through a pile of vests until he found what he was looking for and threw a bullet-proof-vest over my head, strapping it around me. Then he pulled on a vest of his own and added a couple ammunition clips for his gun into a small pouch on his utility belt. He also grabbed a set of handcuffs, and much to my amazement, something that looked like a tube of lipstick. I was more than a little confused but Ranger explained that it was for me to keep in my pocket as it contained a small tracking device.

"Don't I need a gun?" I asked.

"Do you know how to shoot it?" Ranger asked in reply.

"No," I responded.

"Then you're more dangerous to yourself with one than without." Ranger said. "Come on."

Sufficiently armed and protected, we made our way to the small congregation in front of one of the SUVs. Without saying a word, Tank, Bobby, and Lester stopped talking at our approach and gave us their undivided attention. Ranger explained that Joe had called him to invite Rangeman to be a part of Eduardo Mendez's apprehension. Apparently Dr. Perrington had initially tried to plead his innocence, but once they'd informed him of a material witness to his involvement (me), he quickly gave up Mendez in the hopes that the charges against him would be dropped.

Ranger went on to explain that we were heading to the police station where the five of us would join Joe, and officers Gazzara and Costanza, before heading to the house were Mendez was staying. "Lester," he said. "You will be staying in the SUV with Stephanie." Lester looked as though he was going to complain but Ranger wasn't finished talking yet. "Under no circumstances is Stephanie to get out of the vehicle. It is your responsibility to ensure her safety, first and foremost."

Lester took in the expression on Ranger's face and nodded his head in acknowledgment. He looked at me and a flash of worry crossed his face, which was quickly replaced by a small smile when he noticed me watching. After relaying a few more instructions to the guys, we were all loading into the vehicle and heading to the station.

* * *

As soon as Tank pulled into the parking lot at the police station, Ranger hopped out of the seat beside me and met Joe beside a dark blue Crown Victoria. They talked for just a moment before Joe turned his head in our direction and scowled. He turned his head back to Ranger and seemed to be arguing with him. Luckily, after only a minute or so, Joe stopped flailing his arms around and ran his hand through his hair. The two men nodded at one another before heading back to their respective vehicles. Sandwiched once again between Ranger and Bobby, we followed Joe's car out of the lot and south onto HWY 206.

I wanted to ask Ranger what he and Joe were arguing about, but since I figured there was a strong possibility that Joe had the same initial reaction to my coming along that Ranger had, I thought it best not to inquire.

"Where are we heading?" Tank asked from behind the wheel. He'd been following behind Joe, but I'd bet he was uncomfortable not knowing our destination.

"Mendez has been hiding out in a mostly unoccupied neighborhood just north of the Hamilton Marshes," Ranger replied. "According to Perrington, the houses on either side of Mendez are empty, but there have been signs of squatters in the house directly across the street."

"What's our play?" Bobby asked.

"We'll pull up a few houses down from, and across the street from Mendez," Ranger began. "Tank, you and Gazzara will take the back, Morelli and Costanza will approach from the East, through the garage, and Bobby and I will enter through the front door. We'll go in silent, guys, and take him alive."

"What about the other guys?" I asked tentatively. "We know he has at least one other guy helping him that is unaccounted for, there could be more." I started to get worried that there weren't enough people on this team to take them all down.

Ranger stilled my hands and then gently squeezed my thigh. "Perrington said that Mendez was there with only one other person, but we'll be diligent and keep our eyes open for others."

I nodded and placed my hand in Ranger's before leaning into him completely. My guys may have been the ones going into a dangerous situation, but I couldn't help the bad feeling that was spreading within me. I was scared. Before I'd had a chance to think on things too much, we pulled to a stop in what must have been a nice middle class neighborhood, once upon a time. Though the houses were in various states of disrepair, and an enormous amount of trash could be found littering the street and yards nearby, it really wouldn't take much effort to make the neighborhood redeemable again.

There was a short burst of static and then Joe's voice could be heard coming from a walkie-talkie that Tank had clipped to his belt. "Everyone clear on their positions?"

Tank picked up his walkie and responded. "Affirmative. Give us a beep when you're in position and we'll go on three."

"Copy that," Came Joe's reply.

Before Tank had even re-clipped his walkie, he, Lester, and Bobby were out of the vehicle, leaving me alone with Ranger. The nervous feeling was back and I gripped Ranger's hand even tighter.

"Please be careful," I whispered. "I love you."

Ranger pried his fingers from my own and held my face in between them. He planted a chaste kiss on my lips and looked deeply into my eyes. "I love you, too, Babe." In the next moment, his door was open and he was getting out of the SUV. "Stay in the car," he said before closing the door.

I didn't have a chance to feel alone before Lester was climbing into the driver's seat. He must have seen the worry on my face because he tried to reassure me. "Everything's going to be fine, Beautiful. This is what we do!" He shot me a wink and then we were both looking out the driver's side of the car, watching as the six of them made their way around the house.

* * *

A/N

Any ideas on what will happen next?


	38. Chapter 38

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Hello all! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I found myself rewriting a couple sections and I still don't know that I'm entirely satisfied with it yet. However, reading what I have written over and over has almost taken away the meaning behind a lot of it, so I'm just going to go with my gut and hope it's OK. Thanks, Chica.

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _I didn't have a chance to feel alone before Lester was climbing into the driver's seat. He must have seen the worry on my face because he tried to reassure me. "Everything's going to be fine, Beautiful. This is what we do!" He shot me a wink and then we were both looking out the driver's side of the car, watching as the six of them made their way around the house._

* * *

Even though we were across the street and not directly in front of the house Mendez was in, we had a pretty good vantage point and could easily see the front door and most of the yard. Tank and officer Gazzara had snuck around the left side of the house, working their way to the back door, and Joe and officer Costanza had gone to the right, approaching the garage entrance. The only pair we could see from our current position in the SUV were Ranger and Bobby, who were preparing to enter the front door.

Bobby was squatting down in front of the door, presumably picking the lock. Ranger, on the other hand, kept his back to Bobby and his eyes scanning for anything out of place within in his field of vision. A moment later, Bobby was standing up and Ranger's stance suddenly changed. He seemed to tense up and his eyes were locked on something in front of him. When I followed his line of sight, I noticed what appeared to be a homeless man walking in Ranger's direction from the house across the street.

The homeless man had reached the edge of the front lawn, so he now stood about forty feet from Ranger and Bobby. He must have said something because both of the men on the porch pulled their weapons, but they didn't point them in his direction until the man held up something in his right hand. It looked like a cell phone and I briefly wondered why a homeless man would need a cell phone.

Lester had been watching the scene unfold as well. "Shit!" he said, mostly to himself. He pulled his sidearm from his utility belt and looked as though he was unsure how to proceed.

"Do you think they're in danger?" I asked from the backseat.

"Yes," Lester replied with regret in his voice.

"Then go help them!" I all but screamed at him.

"You know I can't," Lester replied. "You are my top priority. Ranger would kill me if something happened to you because I went to help him."

Before I could argue, we heard the click on Lester's radio, indicating that Joe's team was in position. It was followed by another click from Tank and Gazzara. Ranger slowly pulled the radio from his belt.

"Pull back!" Ranger's voice called through the radio. "Suspect is in the front lawn and says the house is wired with explosives. I repeat, pull back. Do not breach!"

Ranger dropped the radio back to his side, but continued to hold it while talking to the man he identified as Mendez. Mendez looked to be getting more and more angry as though he wasn't hearing what he wanted. Another click on the radio was followed quickly by several others. It seemed as though someone was trying to communicate, and my money was on Ranger.

Obviously, I didn't know Morse Code, but it appeared that Lester did. He was getting agitated in his seat and turned to face me just as a gunshot registered in the otherwise quiet afternoon.

It only took a moment for the shock to wear off and the reality to come crashing down on me. I barely noticed the hole through the glass of his door before Lester slumped in his seat.

"Lester!" I shouted. I jumped out of the vehicle and quickly opened his door. There wasn't even time to check on Lester before two things happened. The first was another gunshot that sounded as though it came from right behind me. The second was an intense feeling of pain radiating out from my right shoulder.

I stumbled forward and ended up on Lester's lap for a moment before I was able to catch my breath. Standing up, I looked behind me and my heart stopped. On the other side of the road, about sixty feet away, was Bronco Man. He had his gun pointed in my direction and was grinning like a madman. For all I knew, he was a madman. The only thing I could be sure of was his dedication to finishing a task, or maybe it was just inflicting pain that he enjoyed so much. Either way, I was a sitting duck standing where I was behind the driver's door.

Knowing I was an easy target, I shut the door and ran around the front of the SUV to the passenger's side so that I could keep the vehicle between us. Bronco Man fired off another shot as I rounded the bumper, but I managed to avoid getting hit and ducked down below the windows. I was more scared than I can ever remember being, but I wasn't sure what I should do. Obviously staying here wasn't going to work, I wasn't armed and I didn't know how to defend myself. Running towards the house in front of me seemed just as dangerous as running down the middle of the street towards Ranger.

As I contemplated my next move, I began to hear the crunch of twigs breaking under the feet of the Bronco Man as he walked across the yard getting closer to my hiding spot. I was sure that Ranger and the rest of the guys had heard the shots he'd fired and would be here to help any minute. I just needed to hold him off until help arrived.

It occurred to me that there was at least one weapon in the SUV, since I'd seen Lester pull his gun before he was shot. Before I lost all nerve, I opened the front-passenger door, keeping my body below the windows, and began to climb onto the floorboard so that I could make my way to Lester.

Another shot was fired, but this one didn't miss. Either Bronco Man crouched down low to see where my legs were, or he's the luckiest sun-of-a-gun out there because he hit near the ankle of my right leg before I could climb all the way in and pull my leg to safety. The pain was excruciating and I had to force myself to stay conscious when all I wanted to do was give in to the peace and painlessness that the darkness would bring. I managed to pull myself the rest of the way into the SUV despite the significant blood I was losing between my shoulder and ankle wounds. I began to worry that help might not get here fast enough.

Lester still hadn't regained consciousness but I didn't see any blood or other obvious signs of serious injury, so I was hoping that his vest had done its job. I leaned back against the bench of the seat and started talking to Lester, hoping he would hear me and wake up in time to help. I was feeling light headed and tired and I knew it would only be a matter of moments before my perpetual attacker was able to get in the kill shot. Allowing the fatigue to wash over me, my head dropped to my chest and I slumped a little more on the floor. From my new perspective, I could see Lester's gun resting only six inches beside me and slightly under the seat. The approaching footsteps told me that my time was up, so I put all my focus into fighting off the darkness long enough to reach that weapon.

My fingers grabbed ahold of the gun and pulled it into my lap just as Bronco Man reached the passenger door. I lifted my head slowly and looked in his direction. He smiled at me and pointed his gun at my head. It took every bit of strength left in my body, but I lifted that gun as quickly as I could and shot him in the chest before he'd even dropped the crazy smile on his face. It was almost comical how his expression changed to a look of surprise before he fell back onto the sidewalk.

The gun dropped from my fingers and I slumped once again against the seat. Now that the immediate threat against us was over, I could feel the adrenaline leeching out of my body. The darkness was creeping in around the edges and I knew that we needed help, and fast. I didn't have the strength to set out on foot, even if I hadn't been crippled by that last shot. Looking around I tried to think my way out of this mess, but all I could do was think of Ranger and how much I wanted to be with him right now. My gaze drifted down again to the floorboard and the large amount of blood that was pooling there and I wondered idly how angry Ranger would be that I had stained his otherwise pristine vehicle.

Although it felt like a long time had passed since Lester and I came under attack, in reality it was probably only a few minutes. We had been within eye sight of Ranger and Bobby when they began their little standoff with Mendez, so I was trying to tell myself that he was only delayed in coming to our rescue and not that he was in any way injured. There hadn't been any explosions, so I took that as a sign that they were getting the upper hand.

It occurred to me that I was close enough that perhaps I could drive to help. I tried to get up off the floor but found I lacked the strength. Without being able to see where I was going, I ruled out pressing on the gas pedal and steering from the floor for obvious reasons.

My head drooped again and this time I didn't fight it. The darkness was creeping in from the edges of my vision, but with it was a remarkable floating sensation that allowed me to feel a slight separation from the pain in my body. It certainly hadn't gone away; it was more like it didn't matter anymore. I was dying and those types of concerns were insignificant to the big picture. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered another gunshot in the distance.

I heard a pounding of feet on the pavement before a sharp intake of breath and a strangled, "Oh, my God!" After only a moment I heard a much louder demand for "Bobby!"

I could feel a pair of hands grab hold of mine and a voice that was somewhat familiar speaking urgently to me. "Come on, Steph. Stay with us." He called again. One of the hands was pulled from mine long enough to touch my neck. "Fight, damn it!"

Despite the anger of his words, I struggled to understand the urgency behind them. Nothing seemed that pressing at the moment and I was content to drift along now that I was no longer focused on the pain.

"Get her out of there," said a second voice.

"There's so much blood," cried the first. The air around me stirred and I could sense the movement of my body more than I could feel it. "Please, Cupcake, don't go like this," he whispered.

Cupcake… Oh, so it was Joe with me. That must mean Bobby was the other voice. I have to say that I'm a bit relieved to know Bobby is here. Don't get me wrong, I'd love it more than anything if I could hear Ranger right then, but it seemed like I was pretty messed up and could probably use Bobby's medical expertise.

From far away I heard a cry that hurt my very soul. "Stephanie!"

"Check Lester," Bobby said.

"I got him," said a very deep voice; Tank. "Looks like he took one to the vest." A low moaning was interrupted by Tank again. "He's coming around. Les, you OK, man?"

The one voice I desperately wanted to hear sounded so far away that I'd almost convinced myself that I'd imagined hearing him at all. He rarely called me Stephanie anyway, so it was easy to believe it was all a dream. The sound of a siren in the distance pulled my attention from the continued conversations around me until I felt a tingle at the base of my neck.

Bobby was talking to someone nearby but all I could hear was… him. "Babe," he whispered. "You don't get to go anywhere yet. You have to stay with me." He sounded almost heartbroken and I wanted to let him know that it would be OK, that the pain wasn't even an issue anymore, but then I felt it again. The pain that had been in the corner of my mind was now front-and-center, and I couldn't focus on anything else.

I tried to tell him. I wanted to cry out, to let them know how much I was suffering, but my body wouldn't respond; even my eyes refused to open. At least I knew that Ranger was safe. No matter what became of me, my love would be alright and that soothed me like nothing else ever could. With that consolation in mind, I allowed myself to find peace in the darkness and soon thought no more.

* * *

A/N

So, was this how you thought it would go? What do you think?


	39. Chapter 39

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

I want to give a quick thanks to all those who took the time to read and review the last couple of chapters. The overwhelmingly positive feedback has been a real motivator for me to continue, and has made this initial attempt at writing fanfiction a really great experience.

As for the guest who didn't think it was reasonable/likely that Ranger would agree with Stephanie's request to accompany the group picking up Mendez, there are probably a few people who would agree with you. Since I rather like how it turned out I'm not going to change anything about it, but maybe it would help you to understand a little of what Ranger was thinking? Ranger knows he has a strong team and each of his men is extremely skilled, so he believed enough in their abilities as a whole to justify leaving one of his men in the vehicle with Steph (there were, after all, six total people in on the take down). He also thought that they left the vehicle out of the danger zone (far enough away to miss any stray bullets or explosions). Even if it wasn't logical, he knew that it was important to Steph and he found a way to made it happen with an approach that was relatively safe (she agreed to certain precautions), and one he could live with. That being said, I hope you can overlook this part of the plot if you don't like his thinking or if it bothers you too much. Regardless, I'd like to thank you, and all my other readers, for following my story and for your honest feedback. Thanks, Chica

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _I tried to tell him. I wanted to cry out, to let them know how much I was suffering, but my body wouldn't respond; even my eyes refused to open. At least I knew that Ranger was safe. No matter what became of me, my love would be alright and that soothed me like nothing else ever could. With that consolation in mind, I allowed myself to find peace in the darkness and soon thought no more._

* * *

There are moments in life that cause people to take stock of what really matters to them. Much of the time this introspection stems from a near-death experience, as was the case with me. When searching one's soul, some people find that they've been neglecting some of those important things in their lives and so they work to give them more attention. Others focus more on the mistakes they've made and try to rectify certain situations or make amends. As I lay on the hospital bed, in a room that is more familiar to me than my own apartment, I realize that there are many things about my life that need to change… things that are going to change.

I'd been awake long enough to see Bobby staring out the window and to hear the shower running in the bathroom, which was most likely where I'd find Ranger. Looking at Bobby I could see that his hands were clasped behind him in what might pass for a relaxed position had the expression on his face not been a cross between contemplative and regretful.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask, my voice a little gravelly.

Quickly turning his head, Bobby looked at me and smiled. "Hey, Steph! Glad to see you awake." He walked to the left side of my bed and sat beside me before picking up my hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm OK," I say quietly. "But I asked you first." I gave him a small smile but didn't look away so he knew I was serious. "You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. What's going on?"

Bobby gave a mirthless chuckle while he played with my hand in his lap. "I'm just second-guessing my skills as a medic and wishing we'd been able to get to you sooner."

Some of the details surrounding my latest attack were a little hazy, but I knew that Bobby was a first-rate medic and he would have helped me as soon as he was able. The fact that he was feeling guilty gave me an odd, squishy feeling that I didn't like. There was something he wasn't telling me.

I was just about to insist that Bobby tell me whatever it was he was withholding, when the creak of the bathroom door interrupted us. During my short conversation with Bobby I'd somehow missed hearing the shower shut off, so I was unprepared for the delicious image of Ranger standing before me with his wet hair hanging loosely around his shoulders. He looked good enough to eat!

Given the smirk that Ranger was wearing and how quickly Bobby stood up, I can only assume I'd said that last part out loud. Oops. Bobby gave my hand a final squeeze, told me he'd be back to check on me later, and quietly left the room.

Ranger walked over and took Bobby's vacant spot. He didn't say anything at first, he just tucked some hair behind my ear and placed a light kiss on my lips. When he pulled back he picked up my hand and gave me a hollow smile that reminded me of the look on Bobby's face only moments ago.

It was clear that something serious had happened and that Ranger was trying to calm me down before giving me the news, but all he'd managed to do was make me more anxious. He was acting as though someone had died… Oh my God, someone had died! Tears began falling uncontrollably from my eyes.

"It's Lester, isn't it?" I asked through my tears. "Did he… is he?" I couldn't force the question out but Ranger knew what I was after and quickly responded.

"Lester's fine, Babe," He assured me. "Calm down."

I was bewildered when Ranger made a sudden dash to the restroom, but my confusion was cleared up when he returned seconds later holding a box of tissues. After resuming his post beside me, he pulled a couple of tissues from the box and wiped away all evidence of tears from my face.

"Who died?" I squeaked.

"The only people who died were Eduardo Mendez and Chrisôbal Diaz," he said. "Diaz was your Bronco Man."

The news was so unexpected that I wasn't sure how to respond. I wondered how Ranger felt about it, but since his face was devoid of all emotion I focused instead on taking a minute to catalogue my own feelings. Mostly, I was relieved that all of my guys were alive and that Mendez was no longer a threat. Behind those happier notions, however, was a lingering fear that was rapidly growing inside me. Something was wrong. Neither Bobby nor Ranger wanted to tell me, but I had a feeling I knew what it was.

"Look, I'm sorry, OK?" I said quietly. "I know you're angry with me and I know I can't change what happened." My voice began to quiver but I had to say this before I lost my nerve, so I took a deep breath and lowered my eyes. "It was my fault," I whispered. "If I had just stayed at Rangeman like you'd wanted then Lester wouldn't have been hurt and nobody else would have been in danger. I understand now, and I'm sorry this had to happen before I did." I forced myself to look him in the eye. "Ranger, I'm so sorry."

When Ranger didn't say anything at first, my tears started falling again; silence really does speak volumes. I took in a lung full of air and turned my face away so he didn't have to watch me cry. Deep-down I didn't blame him. I knew what his response would be, what it should be. It had obviously taken me a long time to take stock of what's important to me, so even though I was ready to make significant changes in my life, I certainly couldn't criticize him for wanting to be rid of me completely.

I tried not to think about how much it was going to hurt when he told me that he'd had enough… that he didn't want to see me anymore… that he finally realized that I wasn't the Stephanie that he'd loved. I was fooling myself to think that he could love someone who had absolutely no idea who she was, but what's worse, I allowed him to fool himself into believing that I was _her_.

Without turning my head I let him off the hook. "It's OK, Ranger. You don't have to stay."

The grip on my hand was almost crushing by the time he spoke. "Stephanie, look at me." His voice was deep and filled with an emotion that I didn't recognize. I looked at him through my blurry vision and noticed his blank face had disappeared. In its place was a parade of so many different emotions that I knew I couldn't catch them all. Love, fear, and anger were the ones I could easily identify, but it was the sadness that he settled on which broke my heart.

Ranger ran his hand down my cheek and wiped at my tears with his thumb. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he said. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me. You didn't do anything wrong."

I started to shake my head in disagreement but he held my face between his hands and interrupted me before I could say anything. "If you hadn't come out with us, there is still a chance that Lester would have been shot, or worse." Ranger dropped his hands from my face and clasped my left hand between both of his. "I was cocky," he continued. "When Morelli called to let us in on the bust I jumped at the chance. I allowed the superior skills of my men to convince me that we could handle any situation we came upon and that the TPD would just screw it up if we left it to them alone." Ranger was shaking his head in disappointment. "I should have attempted to persuade Morelli to wait until we had more intel on Mendez's neighborhood. We should have set up surveillance and identified the risks we would encounter before we put ourselves in harm's way. Relying solely on Perrington's information was a mistake that could have cost all of us our lives."

"But if Lester didn't have to stay with me he would have been with you and not in the SUV when Diaz came strolling up," I argued.

"And he might have gotten blown up entering the house we thought Mendez had been in," he replied. "It's pointless to play the blame-game, Babe. Let's just be glad that the bad guys are dead, and the good guys lived to fight another day, alright?"

I nodded. "OK."

"As for staying with you," Ranger said, his voice softening like velvet. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Babe, because I'm never letting you go." His sweet smile seemed to morph into a seductive leer in the blink of an eye.

My heart fluttered and I couldn't help but return his smile. "I thought you were mad," I admitted. "I was worried that you wanted to break up with me." Before Ranger could comfort me further with his declarations of love, I realized that the anxious feelings I'd had since waking up hadn't gone away, it had just been hiding in the back of my mind. I looked back up at Ranger in confusion. Something was definitely wrong, I could feel it. "What aren't you telling me?" I asked. "What makes you and Bobby so sad?"

* * *

My last stint in the hospital lasted for ten days. It had taken two units of blood and three surgeries to get me patched up well enough that they'd sign my discharge papers, but even that was mostly due to Bobby and the care I would get at Rangeman. The bullet that ripped through my shoulder did damage to both my collar bone and my shoulder blade but my surgeons did an amazing job. They removed all the tiny bone chips, reconstructed the larger bone fractures, and managed to pull it all off in one (rather lengthy) surgery. I'm told I could be in this sling for three months since I'm supposed to stay as immobile as possible in order to properly heal, but I'm crossing my fingers that I'll heal more quickly than that.

The gunshot wound to my ankle was another story. With tendon, ligament, and bone damage, I have already been through two surgeries and there is a strong likelihood that another will be necessary. Turns out that the guilt Ranger and Bobby were suffering from on that first day was due to the possibility of permanent damage. Depending on how well I heal, and whether or not I need a joint replacement, I could end up walking with a limp or needing the use of a cane for the rest of my life.

Ranger has been amazing, even with my ever-increasing crankiness. I can't really help it, I hurts pretty much any time I move. And while the pain medication works really well it also makes me so drowsy that when I'm not sleeping I have a tendency to nod off in the middle of a conversation. Needless to say, I'm trying to get by with less medication but sometimes it's difficult to ignore the pain. With that in mind, I was given a strong dose of pain medication before we drove back to Rangeman, and I was blissfully unaware of any jostling that may have been required to get me home.

It's funny how I've come to think of Rangeman as home. Then again, I have no real memories of living anywhere else. And with all the help I'm going to need for the next several months, moving in with Ranger just made the most sense. It was a fact that made Ranger deliciously happy, and I'd be lying if I wasn't just as excited.

So I'm lying here in our bed, like I've been doing pretty much exclusively since I got back two days ago, and it occurs to me that there might be some responsibilities I should be attending to. Ranger had some of the guys move all my stuff out of my apartment the minute I agreed to move in with him, so I doubt that I have rent I need to worry about paying, but maybe there are credit card bills or at least a cell phone charge I needed to pay. I'll have to ask Ranger when he comes up for lunch.

These types of questions had become almost a game for us. I'd spend countless hours contemplating a wide variety of topics and when Ranger came home for lunch or dinner, I'd ask him the ones I thought were the most important or held the highest level of interest. He was a good sport about it and seemed genuinely amused by some of my more random questions. Most of my questions were the simple, 'what is your favorite food?' type of question, but sometimes I'd try to stump him by asking him questions about _my_ preferences. So far he has had an answer for everything I've asked him but since I don't actually know the answers to those questions myself, he could very well be making stuff up for all I know.

A knock on the bedroom door pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Bobby's smiling face and couldn't help but return it with a smile of my own.

"Hey Bobby," I said cheerfully. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

"Oh yeah?" he replied. "Wanted something pretty to look at for a change, huh?"

I laughed and then forced myself to stop before answering. "Absolutely, but also because I've had to pee for the last ten minutes."

We'd all learned pretty quickly once I'd settled into the apartment that I would need help with simple things like bathing and going to the bathroom. With my right arm in a sling and my right foot in a cast that I wasn't allowed to put any weight on, I wasn't able to use crutches to get around. I guess modesty goes out the window when you have to rely on other people to carry you to and from the toilet, but the weird part was that it seemed like it was making us better friends, too. Maybe it was just that it forced a certain amount of trust to develop between us, or perhaps it was just that I couldn't find fault with someone who was willing to listen to me pee.

"You always say the sweetest things," he joked. Bobby made his way around to my side of the bed and helped me into a sitting position. He always slipped into his medic role so seamlessly. "How's the pain this morning?"

"Manageable," I replied.

"Don't try to tough it out, Steph," he chided. "Putting yourself in unnecessary pain could actually slow your recovery. Not to mention it really pisses me off to see you hurting."

I could tell his last comment was designed to make me smile, but I could see the seriousness beneath it, too. I sighed. "I'll take another pill when I get back in bed," I replied, resignedly.

After the quick visit to take care of Mother Nature, I was resettled into the bed where Bobby handed me a pill and a glass of water. I took it with a frown but to be honest, after the little moving around that I did I was happy to know relief was coming. Bobby took my empty glass and settled into the chair beside my bed for a visit.

Ranger had spent nearly every waking moment in the hospital after I was shot. Nothing I said would convince him that he should be at work or anywhere else except sitting beside me watching me sleep. He wouldn't talk about it, but I knew there were things he was getting behind on with work… clients he should be meeting with, staffing issues to address. So when I came home I finally convinced him that he should be back at work. Since I could still call him if I needed him and he was only an elevator ride away, he agreed. His only stipulation was that I was not left alone for more than an hour each day without someone checking on me. I thought it was excessive, especially considering that I wasn't able to leave the bed on my own, but it made him feel better. Bobby and Ella were my primary caregivers when Ranger wasn't here, though each of my guys has been up at least once to visit.

"So what have you been doing this morning?" Bobby asked.

"Oh, you know," I replied with a smirk. "A little dancing, a couple of push-ups, the usual."

"Is that right?" he asked.

"Yup. But now that you're here, we can have a nice conversation instead!" I smiled at the easy camaraderie we shared. Bobby was such a wonderful person and I was really glad we were friends. Especially since that friendship sometimes lead him to talk to me about things he might not want to do otherwise.

"Alright," he agreed with a smile. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Will you tell me how Mendez died?" I asked. "Ranger says I don't need to worry about it and he changes the subject every time I try to talk to him."

"I don't know, Steph," Bobby answered while rubbing the back of his neck. "If Ranger doesn't want you to know about it, I don't think I should say anything."

"Come on, Bobby," I pled. "He treats me like I'm going to break if I hear anything upsetting. I'm a big girl, I can handle it." He looked at me with uncertainty. "I won't tell him you told me," I offered.

"Alright," Bobby replied. "But you may not like what you hear."

* * *

A/N

I set out to have this chapter wrap up the story, but just hadn't found a way to talk about what delayed Ranger from getting to Steph when she was shot. It probably won't have any real impact on the story, but it seemed like that was something that was missing. I should be able to finish up this story with another chapter in the next couple of days.

So, what are your thoughts on the conversation between Steph and Ranger in the hospital? Did the transition to her being at Rangeman flow smoothly? Let me know what you think! Thanks, Chica


	40. Chapter 40

This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

A/N

Well, this is it, the last chapter. I hope it wraps up any loose ends the story may have had and concludes to your satisfaction. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews thus far; please let me know what you think of this last chapter as well. Chica

* * *

"Well, as you probably remember," Bobby began. "We broke into three groups so there would be someone at each entrance when we got the signal to move. Ranger and I took the front door and just like the other guys, I began working on the lock so that we could enter silently when we were ready."

I nodded my understanding and gave a small smile, encouraging him to continue. Bobby leaned forward a little more in his chair and ran his hand through his short hair. He shot a quick look at the bedroom door as though assuring himself that we were alone before saying any more.

"I could tell that something had gotten Ranger's attention at about the same time I finished with the lock," he said. "So I stood up and turned around to assess the situation."

"And Mendez was there," I said.

"Yes, Mendez walked out of the house directly across the street and was making his way to us. Of course, at the time we didn't know it was Mendez. He was dressed as a homeless man, and since we'd been informed that there were people squatting in that house, my first thought was that we needed to get him out of harm's way." Bobby snorted. "I was actually going to give him money and tell him to move on."

I chuckled a little at the visual. "How did you learn that it was Mendez?" I asked.

"When he got close enough that we could make out his face," Bobby said. "He looked just like the rendering you put together."

"So what happened next?" I asked.

"Ranger and I pulled our weapons, preparing to take him out if he didn't want to be taken in." Bobby got up and started pacing in the small space between the chair and the bed. "Steph, I don't think I should say anything. I'm sure Ranger will tell you everything when he's ready; you should wait for him."

I was starting to get irritated, and the pain radiating through my body was taking what little patience I might normally have and stretching it pretty thin. Knowing that lashing out at Bobby wouldn't help my cause any, I forced myself to take a deep breath and calm down. "Bobby," I said. "It's going to be fine, just tell me, OK? Please?"

Bobby started mumbling something about being taken to the mats, but after a moment he returned to his chair and sat down. He looked at me and must have been reassured by what he saw because he began speaking to me as though he hadn't stopped.

"So we had our guns on him and he raised his hands as though trying to show he wasn't a threat, but we could see a detonator in his hand. He told us that the house was rigged to explode if any of the doors or windows were opened," Bobby said quickly. "Of course, it was about that time that we got the signals from Joe and Tank that indicated they were in position. All they were waiting on was a return signal from us and they would have bust through the doors and the house would have exploded."

"There wasn't an explosion though," I chimed in. "Was there even a bomb in there or was he just making it up?"

"At the time we had to assume he was telling the truth," Bobby replied. "When the bomb squad searched the place afterwards, they did indeed find explosives. In fact, there was enough C-4 in the house to level the place completely."

A chill crept up my back as I considered that my guys could have died that day. I don't know what I would have done, but I'd certainly never have gotten over the guilt… they wouldn't even have be there if it weren't for me.

"So Ranger reaches for his radio and tells the guys to stand down," he says. "Then Mendez starts taunting him."

"Taunting him?" I replied. "What did he say?"

"It doesn't matter, Steph," Bobby replied. "Honestly, it's done, and you should get some sleep." He stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Bobby!" I cried. "You have to tell me!" I sat up and swung my legs to the side of the bed, completely ignoring the pain radiating out of my shoulder and the throbbing in my ankle. I was about to try standing up on my good leg but Bobby returned and stood glaring before me.

"Lay back down!" Bobby said from beside the bed. "What are you thinking?"

He placed my legs back on the bed and helped me scoot back against the pile of pillows at the headboard. I winced and panted a little so that I didn't cry out in pain.

"I was thinking," I panted. "That if you were going to leave… I would have to follow you… until you told me the truth." I was so out of breath that I couldn't keep talking and I leaned my head back in defeat.

Worry lines spread across Bobby's face as he looked me over. I didn't want him to have to worry for me, but I didn't like being left in the dark on things that were important, either. It was bad enough that there was an endless supply of things I didn't remember; I shouldn't be excluded from information I would have actually remembered had I just been standing a little closer.

"Come on, Steph," He pled. "You can't act like this, it's not good for you."

I looked back at him impassively. "I deserve to know what happened, Bobby. Please, just tell me."

Bobby pulled a pillow from Ranger's side of the bed and slid it gently underneath my feet so they were slightly elevated. "Just relax, OK?" he begged.

I nodded and pointed to the chair beside me, silently asking him to sit down. He huffed in irritation, but he sat down.

"Right after Ranger told the guys to stand down, Mendez tells us how he'd wanted the doctor to be the one to enter the house and eliminate the last of his loose ends that way. Maybe that was why he didn't want us to enter? I don't know, none of his actions made much sense."

"Was that what you meant when you said he was taunting Ranger?" I asked.

"Not really," Bobby sighed in defeat. "He told us he'd secured explosives around the entire perimeter of the Rangeman building." I gasped and threw my left hand over my mouth. Bobby nodded and continued talking, almost without emotion. "Mendez said that if Diaz was unsuccessful in finding you in the SUV, then he would hope to take you out when the Rangeman building fell."

We were both silent for a minute as I digested the information. I had to remind myself that Mendez was dead, and the Rangeman building hadn't exploded. Everybody was fine so I shouldn't be freaking out about it now. My mind started wandering back to that day again, but this time I tried to distance myself emotionally from the events. I remembered sitting with Lester and looking at the scene unfold with Ranger, Bobby, and Mendez. My brow furrowed as I considered something new. "Ranger was saying something in Morse Code, wasn't he?" I asked. Bobby seems genuinely surprised that I'd known what he was doing. "Was he saying something about the explosives at Rangeman?"

Bobby just looks at me incredulously. "No, Steph," he said seriously. He looked as me for a moment as though I were simple. "He was telling Lester that you were in danger and to get out of there."

My heart swelled with love for Ranger. I knew now, more than ever, how lucky I was. I sighed in contentment before I processed the rest of what Bobby has said. "I guess that explains the look, then," I said.

"What look?" Bobby asked.

"The look that Lester had on his face when he was shot in the back," I responded. "We heard the radio and then Lester turned to look at me with a really worried expression, and then he was shot." I had tried not to think about seeing Lester get shot right in front of me. Even knowing that his vest had worked and he'd only suffered from a few cracked ribs, it still really upset me. "I think it was a good thing for Lester though," I said as I gave it some more thought. "If he hadn't turned towards me when he did, he would have gotten shot in the side, and the vest might not have saved his life."

Bobby nodded his head in agreement. "You're probably right."

We sat there in silence for another moment before I urged him to continue. "OK, what happened after that?"

"Well, we all heard the shot that hit Lester," Bobby said. "So it was time to grab Mendez and remove whatever threat remained. We'd both been moving closer to him as he and Ranger talked so we were only a few feet away. Ranger made a move towards him, but that was when Mendez told us that the detonator in his hand wasn't for the house behind us, but for Rangeman. He said that if we moved that he'd release a button and blow it to pieces."

"Why would he do that," I thought. "Why did he even challenge you guys to begin with? What could he have possibly hoped to gain?"

"I don't think he had it very well thought out when he approached us from across the street." Bobby said. "At least, things certainly didn't go the way he thought they would. My guess is that he figured that by approaching us, he could buy Diaz enough time to…" Bobby stopped mid-sentence and ran his hand through his hair again.

"Enough time to kill me," I concluded.

"Yeah," Bobby replied quietly. "I think he figured that he'd be able to keep us from coming after him or from helping you, just by the threat to Rangeman. What he didn't know, however, was that as soon as we realized what was up, Ranger was alerting the team, via Morse Code, to help you and Lester. It just took them a bit longer to make it around the property while staying out of Mendez's sight."

"Is that's why Ranger won't tell me what happened?" I asked. "Is he mad at himself that he didn't go with the other guys?"

"I think he's more upset that he didn't see it coming in the first place, or that he didn't respond very quickly," Bobby replied. "After we heard the last shot, Ranger launched himself at Mendez, trying to grab hold of the detonator before Mendez let it go. It had a dead-man switch on it," he explained. "So if he'd let go of the small button on the top of it, the Rangeman building could have exploded. I think he was counting on that little tidbit keeping him alive."

"But it didn't," I said. "What happened after Ranger jumped at him?"

"As soon as he was on top of Mendez, Ranger yelled at me to go to you," he replied. "I took off towards the SUV. I could already hear Joe calling for me so knew it was bad." Bobby started pacing the room again. I'd never seen him quite so agitated. "God, Steph! Do you have any idea what it did to me, to all of us, seeing you like that?"

I shook my head slowly. What could I say? "I thought you were dead," he admitted. Bobby stopped pacing and moved back to the bed, carefully sitting beside me. He picked up my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

I smiled. "Thanks to you and the rest of the guys, I'm going to be just fine."

Bobby didn't respond but I could see how much regret he still had about how things went down. I didn't want him dwelling on the past and certainly not on things that he had no control over. "How did Mendez die?" I asked after a moment.

"That was actually Costanza's doing," Bobby replied. "He and Gazzara had taken up positions on either side of Mendez and Ranger. This was at the same time I took off in your direction, so I don't have first-hand knowledge of what happened, but according to Gazzara, as soon as Ranger got a solid grip on the detonator, Mendez managed to pull a knife. Fortunately, Costanza took him out before he could do any damage."

"Is he going to get into trouble?" I asked.

"No," Bobby responded quickly. "It was a clean shooting. He's already been cleared and has returned to duty."

"Good." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment to process everything I'd just learned. On my exhale, I felt Bobby's hand squeeze mine again and I looked at him questioningly.

"Rest now Steph." I nodded and gave him a small smile. Bobby stood up and headed towards the door when I called out to him again.

"Thanks, Bobby," I said sincerely.

"Don't mention it," he said. "Really… don't mention it." He gave me a smirk and closed the door behind him on his way out of the room.

* * *

The feeling of kisses being placed along my neck woke me. I smiled as I opened my eyes and took in Ranger's handsome face. "That's exactly how a girl wants to wake up," I said with a bit of a husky voice.

"I'm happy to do what I can," he replied with a leer. Ranger lay beside me and propped his head up on his hand so that he could comfortably look at me while lying on his side. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm feeling like the luckiest girl alive," I responded honestly.

"You were definitely lucky," Ranger agreed. "And you'll be back to your old self before you know it."

"That's not why I feel lucky, and it isn't really true anyway," I said quietly. "I'm the luckiest girl because I have you, Ranger. You are such an amazing man and I still can't quite believe that you want to be with me. Especially since there's a good chance I'll never be back to my old self," I looked at him expectantly. "Ranger, you know that I might not be able to walk without a noticeable limp or the use of a cane. Not to mention that I haven't remembered anything from my old life in weeks. There's every possibility that I'll never be my old self. But if you still want to be with me, I'll continue to be the luckiest girl in the world."

Ranger stared at me for a moment before responding. His eyes were so expressive that I could practically see the thoughts he was having, even though his face hadn't moved a muscle. There was a little sadness, followed by consideration, then happiness, and finally love. When he settled on love, he smiled and began running his hand across my cheek.

"I'm the lucky one, Babe," he said sweetly. "We can get through anything, together." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that was gentle and full of promise. "And when you are in less pain, I'll be all too happy to show you exactly how lucky I am… repeatedly."

"I like the sound of that," I whispered.

* * *

A/N

We've reached the end. I hope you've enjoyed reading my first attempt at writing fan fiction as much as I enjoyed writing it. I want to thank all of you who offered suggestions and the most amazing support and encouragement I could have asked for. I'd love to hear your final thoughts on the story now that it is finished.

I am happy with where this story ended, but I could see how it might lend itself nicely to a sequel. Would any of you have interest in reading a sequel to this story, or should I work on creating something completely new?


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